Aristocracy
by Saturn's Spawn
Summary: It was Aristocracy that ruled the land, but it was love that governed their hearts. Follow Hotaru Tomoe Uchiha Kuchiki as we enter a world of pain, hate, hope, love and all that's in between. AU multicrossover
1. Prologue

It was Aristocracy that ruled the land, but love that governed their hearts. Follow Hotaru Kuchiki as we enter a world of heartbreak, deceit, betrayal, pain, hope, love, and all that's in-between. AU multicross; Byakuya/Hotaru/Sesshoumaru leading to Byakuya/Hotaru

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Sailor Moon, Naruto, Inuyasha, Dragon Ball Z, Yu Yu Hakusho, or Bleach.

Chapter 1

"_Promise me that you'll find someone who'll love you_."

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"_Promise me that, if I die, you'll find someone who will care about you_."

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"_Promise me that you'll love them in return with all your heart_."

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"_I promise…"_

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"Well then, Kuchiki-sama, I believe that our lands will both benefit from this union," Itachi did nothing to hide the wicked smile to the Lord that sat in front of him before he turned to his left.

A small, delicate woman knelt quietly beside him staring at the contract signed in blood. Kuchiki-sama was doing the same, staring intently at the mere slip of paper stained with a crimson red liquid.

Itachi quietly bowed and left the room, leaving behind the silent couple, but not before whispering to the young woman beside him, "I wish you a happy life with your new husband, Sister." He whispered it almost too callously to have any good intentions behind his words as far as she was concerned.

But then again, her brother-in-law had always been that kind of a person.

After Itachi left, Hotaru quietly examined her husband. Pale skin, bleak taste in clothes, dark hair— It was then that he looked up and their eyes locked. Cold, callous coal-black eyes. God, not that color. It was too much like… too much like…

"Sasuke," she whispered desolately, fighting desperately to hold back her tears.

Slowly, Byakuya lifted his head only to find Hotaru staring back at him. He ignored the name that she whispered, choosing instead to mimic her earlier actions and study his new wife. Hotaru was small, petite by most standards. She was neither extremely beautiful nor extremely hideous. However, the wistful look in her amethystine eyes reminded him so much of...

He was about to whisper _her_ name, but refrained himself.

Byakuya's attention turned back to the fact that Hotaru had whispered her late husband's name. He _almost_ felt a deep pity for her, since he was very much the same predicament. After several years of a loving and happy marriage, her husband, Uchiha Sasuke, died in war. Less than a year later, that bastard of a brother-in-law, Itachi, the only family she had left excluding her daughter, forced her into a marriage.

Why? Because, there are only three Uchiha's left in this world now, and they are Uchiha Itachi, Uchiha Hotaru, wife to the late Uchiha Sasuke, and Uchiha Kanna, daughter of Sasuke and Hotaru.

"_Well, then, Kuchiki-sama, I believe that our clans will both benefit from this union_," Itachi's voice echoed in the back of his mind. If he lacked the control that he spent years mastering, he would've openly scoffed. 'Benefit,' He thought derisively.

It was common knowledge that Itachi despised his family. This marriage was nothing more than a means to erase Hotaru and Kanna's last name.

With an ominous set frame of mind, Byakuya wondered exactly how Itachi planned to erase his own last name. That part of him, where the smallest flicker of loathing and hatred resided, wished that Itachi would just kill himself. However, he knew the younger lord all too well. While he may hate his family's name for some unknown reason, Itachi held onto his lands with an iron grip. Speaking of Itachi…

"Did Itachi tell you to expect anything when you entered this marriage?" Byakuya questioned, wondering if she entered this marriage hoping that he would love her like a husband should. If she did, he would _hate_ to disappoint her.

"…" Well, isn't she a wordy one. After a few more moments of silence, she replied, "Itachi-nii-sama told me nothing except your name, Byakuya-sama."

"Do you know why he wanted you married as soon as possible?"

The corners of pale lips curled upwards to form a small, nostalgic smile. "Of course I knew. Sasuke would never have married me if I didn't know what Itachi was like."

"Why did you marry the younger Uchiha, knowing what kind of man your brother-in-law was going to be?"

"I married Sasuke because he offered something precious to me."

"Money," Byakuya answered candidly.

"It would be so much easier for you to determine my character if I said that, wouldn't it?"

"…"

Now, who's the wordy one?

"He offered me freedom," Hotaru stated, clarifying her previously cryptic response. Freedom. That word seemed so foreign to him.

"What was your name before you married Uchiha?"

"Tomoe." Ah, that was the answer that answered it all. Her bitter, or possibly even ashamed, tone did not escape his notice.

"Then, you are Tomoe Souichi's daughter?"

"Yes."

For a moment, they were quiet.

"Why did you marry me?" She asked, fingers twiddling with the silk of her kimono. He knew she was deviating from the subject at hand, but he let her, knowing the previous topic was a bit… touchy.

"For two reasons." Byakuya also wanted to clarify things. He wanted her to know that this was not a union stemmed from love or compassion for her. "The elders in my family insisted on an alliance between the Kuchiki and the Uchiha family. There are only two solutions to this. It was either I marry you or I arrange a marriage between your brother-in-law and Rukia. This also leads two the second reason. I refuse to insult the memory of my late wife by having her only family marry that sadistic man you call brother."

Hotaru understood completely. If she were in his position, she would never force anyone to marry someone like Itachi. It was her love for Sasuke that allowed her to accept her brother-in-law, nothing more.

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Itachi stared at the small headstone engraved with the name, **Uchiha Sasuke**. He could recall the day Sasuke brought Hotaru into the family.

What an idiot. Didn't Sasuke know what kind of yoke he had placed on his wife? In his strange reasoning, Itachi thought Sasuke was selfish, as well as just pitiful for thinking that by bringing that girl into the family, the weight of his duty would lessen. Did he honestly think they could carry the burden of the Uchiha name together?

Well, let them live. Let them live and fall. And he would be right there when duty broke them. And he would laugh. Now, they did have a happy life together, even though it was short. They cared for each other and loved each other. They even had a daughter together.

However, Itachi watched with sadistic pleasure as the perfect family shattered. A war broke out, dragging Sasuke away from his little family. Of course, Itachi was also in battle, but he could survive. Why? He didn't have anyone to protect. He watched from the side as Sasuke actually sacrificed himself to save his best friend, Naruto.

To this day, Naruto forever carried the burden of guilt.

To this day, Hotaru forever carried the burden of pain.

He could do so much for his own sick, twisted amusement by playing with such emotions.

Now, Itachi was not completely heartless. He did feel that small twinge at the loss of his only brother. After all, when they were younger, Sasuke idolized him. Nevertheless, it simply wasn't enough to make him really care.

As stated before, Itachi had an extreme dislike of his family. In his mentally unstable mind, he deemed Sasuke's death as fitting punishment for trying to undo his hard work. After all, Sasuke was trying so hard to repopulate the clan Itachi wiped out in a single night. At the same time he had killed his family, Sasuke was out of the country trying to court Hotaru.

Sasuke never knew, but now that he was in the afterlife, he could enjoy his reunion with their dead relatives. They could inform him that it was his older brother that massacred the Uchiha family single-handedly.

It's not as if he cared for the _dearly departed_. Unfortunately, Sasuke had to leave his wife and daughter to fend for themselves.

However, his little sister-in-law and niece would not feel the full brunt of his hatred for his family name. The only mistake she made was falling in love with Sasuke. Otherwise, he really could care less about who she was. Now, he had two Uchiha to get rid of.

He could've just killed them and have them join Sasuke in the afterlife. In fact, he should've have done so…if he was merciful.

However, it was so amusing to play on people's emotions, and misery was the most delightful of all to manipulate. So, as soon as he took Hotaru and Kanna in, as he was obliged to since he was Sasuke's only living relative, he planned his emotional torture of the only other two living Uchiha. He only had to be patient.

It was not hard. Everyone knew that Lady Hisana would die soon. She was just too sick to keep on living. He had nothing against Kuchiki, but it was just so convenient.

This was the burden of the Uchiha. Nothing is ever for love, as Hotaru soon learned. An Uchiha woman, especially one with a child, could not remain unmarried. Of course, Itachi could've have married Hotaru and adopted Kanna, but he was not _that_ cruel. Therefore, in his mind, he was doing as much good as he was evil.

True, he absolutely loved the idea of torturing her frail mind this way, forcing her into a marriage with someone who does not care for her, without a chance to mourn over the loss of her husband. And all he had to do was sit back and watch the emotional torture his arrangement had caused.

However, Itachi was also giving Hotaru and Kanna a life a thousand times better than if she were to marry him and remain an Uchiha.

Itachi had not moved from his spot when he felt a gentle breeze, the falling leaves trailing behind.

"Tch, I can almost feel you glaring at me from wherever you are, Little Brother. Be happy your wife is safe with Byakuya, unless you rather I send her to Naraku or marry her myself instead."

At this, the soft breeze suddenly turned into a furious gust of wind that almost pushed him forward slightly.

"I thought you would see it my way. Say hello to Mother and Father for me."

And we leave Itachi to his insane, psychologically disturbing thoughts as he planned his torture for Naruto, the blond-haired idiot who was still suffering from guilt.

As he left the grave sight, the wind whispered a single word, "Teme." The voice sounded eerily like Uchiha Sasuke.

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"Fucking Teme," Sasuke whispered from his position on a cloud. So this is what heaven was like? Doing nothing all day on a cloud while you watch your sadistic brother heartlessly torture your beloved wife and daughter's mental state of mind?

If he never hated his brother before, Sasuke certainly loathed Itachi now with all his heart.

"Even in heaven, you curse." Another presence joined his, kneeling on the cloud beside him.

"Don't you hate Itachi for using your husband like this, Hisana-sama?" Sasuke questioned, surprised that at this very moment, Itachi was up to no good (as usual) and she was chastising Sasuke for cursing his brother?

"I'm not happy with your brother, true; however, Kami-sama himself told me that this was fated to be," Hisana explained. "Besides, didn't we both force them to promise us that they would find someone who would love them—"

"And that they would love that person in return. Yes, I remember making Hotaru promise me that before I left for that stupid war. Now that I think about, humans fight over the pettiest things." Even from his spot up in the clouds, he could still see Hotaru talking with Byakuya. "Doesn't look like they're happy."

"They're still grieving over us, Sasuke-san. Give them time, and I'm sure that they'll grow to love each other. How long did it take you to admit you loved Hotaru?"

In response, Sasuke crossed his arms over his chest and did the Sasuke-version of a pout, which turned out to look more like a scowl.

"You're not jealous are you?"

"Of?" Sasuke questioned, raising one eyebrow.

"Of the fact that Hotaru may learn to love someone other than you," Hisana replied. "If I recall correctly, you were the only man in her life that she actually cared for."

Ignoring the question, Sasuke changed the subject by asking, "And what does Kami-sama have in store for everyone else we know?"

"So that's where Hotaru gets it from," Hisana stated.

"Gets what from where?"

"Her ability, or rather lack there of, to avoid a question successfully," Hisana replied. She looked over the edge of the cloud and smiled softly. She did miss her husband, yes, but she also wanted him to be happy. Therefore, if there was a chance for him to be content with Hotaru, then he should take it.

Of course, her husband, although he would never admit, was practically clueless when it came to love. It seemed two very bored spirits would have to give both of them a small push.

"Less than a year and I've already learned to be very afraid of that smile." Sasuke stated, smirking at his friend. He knew exactly what she was planning, and he would love to help if only to see a smile on Hotaru's face.

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**Saturn's Spawn**: Wasn't that such a happy chapter? (Said sarcastically of course) Everyone's probably ready to kill me for killing Sasuke before the story even started. You're all just dying to know how Hotaru's going to recover from all of this, aren't you? Well, I would kinda ruin it for you if I tell you now.


	2. Chapter 1

Aristocracy ruled the land, but it was love that governed their hearts. Follow Hotaru Kuchiki as we enter a world of heartbreak, deceit, betrayal, pain, hope, love, and all that's in-between. AU multicross; Byakuya/Hotaru/Sesshoumaru leading to Byakuya/Hotaru

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Sailor Moon, Naruto, Inuyasha, Yu Yu Hakusho, Dragon Ball Z, or Bleach.

Chapter 1

Hotaru and Kanna spent their first few days becoming familiar with the estate as well as the family members; therefore, the first person to meet Hotaru was Rukia, who gave a small smile, but Hotaru could see the pain behind Rukia's eyes. It was understandable. Hotaru was a woman who, in Rukia's mind, replaced her sister. Of course, Rukia's kinder side would not allow her to do anything other than subtly glare at Hotaru occasionally.

In response, Hotaru made it a personal goal to set things straight between Rukia and herself. She didn't want Rukia to think that she wanted to replace Lady Hisana's place or intended to do so. However, that would have to wait until later.

"And this is where young Kanna will be sleeping," a servant directed Hotaru, who was holding onto a quiet Kanna's hand. Mother and daughter slowly walked into a very lavish room.

"Hisana wanted a daughter," a quiet, forlorn voice stated, gaining Hotaru's attention before she turned around to see Rukia, whose eyes drifted around the room. "Hisana told Byakuya that she hoped their first child would be a daughter so Byakuya prepared two rooms: one if Hisana was going to have a boy and this one if she had a girl. He focused more on this one though. However, my sister died before a child was ever born."

She looked up at Rukia and nodded. Rukia turned and left, leaving Hotaru and Kanna.

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Hotaru spent the rest of the day with Kanna, who was sitting at a small table practicing writing her name. She smiled faintly at the white-haired girl and led her to the bed. It was getting late.

"Mama, why does Byakuya-sama hate me?"

Within her mind, Hotaru tried her best to draw the words that would explain to a child why her stepfather wanted nothing to do with them. "Don't worry about him," was the best that she could come up with in a few short seconds.

As Hotaru gently stroked the top of Kanna's head, knowing this gesture would help her daughter, she hummed a soft tune. Kanna's eyes slowly drifted downward, exhausted from the day's events.

With a faint smile, Hotaru gently kissed the child's forehead and left the room. After quietly sliding the shoji door shut, Hotaru turned only to find the last person she expected to meet.

"Byakuya-sama," she greeted stiffly as she bowed in front of him.

Nodding in response, Byakuya turned and started walking. Thinking that he expected her to follow, Hotaru soon found herself walking behind him, keeping at least an arm's distance between them.

Soon, she found herself in front of a room she was dreading to see all day. It was _their_ room.

"Does your daughter find her room acceptable?" He asked as he led her inside.

"She does," Hotaru responded, hesitantly looking around, while ignoring the fact that he was changing into his nightclothes, "and she has a name. It's Kanna. After all, she is your daughter now, too."

Byakuya, dressed in his nightclothes, responded with, "_Kanna_ does not see it that way."

For a brief moment, Hotaru turned her attention towards Byakuya and glared as she asked, "What do you expect from her? Her father has died and she thinks her stepfather hates her."

Byakuya narrowed his eyes as he responded coolly, "I expect her to act the way she is supposed to act. Whether Uchiha is dead or alive, your daughter is of noble birth. Unless her parents coddled her so—"

"She's six, and I believe she is handling this quite calmly for a child her age," Hotaru hissed quietly, trying with great difficulty to keep her composure. "Besides, Sasuke and I never _coddled_ her."

Before this could escalate any further, Hotaru took a deep breath, walked over to the large futon after changing into her own sleeping yukata, and went under the covers.

Glaring at his wife, Byakuya placed himself under the covers. With their backs facing each other, they left the other to his or her thoughts.

This was maddening. Hotaru wanted nothing more than to break down and cry. She was trying. She wanted to make this work, but he was being so difficult about it. Hotaru knew that she should forgive him, but when someone hurts Kanna, it's extremely hard for her to forgive that person. However, she knew she still had to find some way to make this work.

If for no other reason, she was doing this to ease Kanna's worry.

Byakuya, on the other hand, wanted nothing more than to curse whatever deity there was that decided to take his wife away from him. He would have done exactly that if not for his incredible self-control.

Inside, the small twinge of guilt gnawed his conscience. Despite whatever Hotaru believed, he did feel somewhat…vexed, yes that would do for now, that Kanna seemed to think he hated her. She was completely innocent, as were most children in this world. People don't blame them for the sins of their parents, at least, not until they're old enough to take responsibilities for their actions.

He didn't hate her. In fact, if he had to adopt any children that came with his marriage, it would be Kanna. She was quiet, polite, smart for a six-year-old,

and…

…extremely broken over the fact that her father was gone, Byakuya realized. To the rest of the world, Kanna seemed to be a hollow shell of her previous self, but when she was with her mother, he noted when he watched the two interact, she allowed herself the liberty of crying and mourning over her father.

In a sense, she was like him when his parents died, leaving him to the clan elders who raised him to be the perfect model of a Kuchiki. He did everything with a practiced ease that denoted his noble heritage. However, the older he grew, the more his own individuality faded away. He almost reached the point where he was nothing more than a perfunctory being, doing everything that would appease his noble station.

That is, until he met Hisana. She was everything he wasn't, and yet she was so much like him. When they met, she always seemed wistful and demure, giving him soft smiles that only served to remind him that they were both just Byakuya and Hisana. Despite her low status, she personified everything he thought a lady should be. She was quiet, polite, soft-spoken, and so much more.

He grew to love her because she had given him something more precious than anything his aristocratic upbringings could offer. She gave him a choice that was entirely his own. He could marry her, thus proving that in the end, he was still just Byakuya or he could forget her and keep living without fully being alive.

He chose to live.

And together, she had given the happiest seven years of his life. Gods, he missed her so much. However, he recalled her dying words to him.

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Flashback

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_As Hisana lay there, she smiled faintly at him, giving a weak cough. Hisana was extremely ill and there was not a doubt in anyone's mind that she would die. Outside their room, they could hear Rukia's soft whimpers._

_With much effort, she turned to him, placed her small slender hand in his larger one, and whispered, "Promise me that you'll find someone who'll love you."_

_Byakuya was almost hesitant to answer._

_This didn't stop her. _"_Promise me that you'll love them in return with all your heart_."

_There was a certain look in her eyes that Byakuya knew he couldn't deny. Finally giving in, he responded quietly, placing his other hand, "I promise." With that promise, Hisana slowly closed his eyes and never opened them again. Byakuya bowed his head in silence as he tried desperately to fight back the tears._

_A few moments later, the plum blossom buds outside finally bloomed into beautiful pale flowers._

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Byakuya opened his eyes and sat up, massaging his forehead with one hand as if the abate the tension of an impending headache away. He had almost forgotten his promise to Hisana.

Turning his head, he looked at Hotaru was had long since fallen asleep. She whispered a name quietly; without a doubt in his mind, he knew which name it was. He wasn't angry or anything of the sort. He knew she didn't love him enough to forget Sasuke, nor would he try to make her forget. He certainly could not forget Hisana.

However, his mind returned to his earlier thoughts.

He recognized the signs of an impending state of dejection, having gone through it himself. He didn't want Kanna to go through that. Hotaru was the only one stopping her from truly going into a depressed state.

His thoughts drifted back to his new wife. He didn't love her. He didn't hate her. He… What did he feel?

_Hisana, what am I going to do_? He thought to himself.

Meanwhile, Hotaru, who only appeared to be asleep, lost herself in her thoughts about her life. Her father, Lord of a faraway land, never raised her to be a princess; she couldn't even consider herself one. She could still hear the whispers behind her back.

'_The illegitimate heir_,' people said. Of course, that was the _nice_ version of what people called her. Originally, her father married a beautiful, but malicious woman named Kaori, who "loved" him dearly.

However, it seemed he could care less. After all, he was having an affair behind her back with another woman who he thought to be incapable of bearing children, which made her the perfect mistress for her father.

Imagine his surprise when she became pregnant with his child. Kaori, of course, wanted to kill the child; however, her father wouldn't hear of it. During childbirth, her mother died leaving Hotaru in her stepmother's care.

Even though she was Souichi's first child (because he did have others), he could never name her his heir. Instead, he left her in the care of Kaori, her "mother". As a result, she endured abuse every day of her life, whether it was verbal or physical.

Until Uchiha Sasuke came into her life. As she told Byakuya, he offered her freedom, a gift more precious to her than anything else was. He saved her, and she loved him for it.

They lived a short, but happy life together until the war.

"Sasuke," she whispered, not knowing that Byakuya heard her.

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Flashback

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_Hotaru held onto Sasuke, burying her head in the crook of his neck. Sasuke smiled as he inhaled her sweet scent, committing it to his memory._

"_Come back safely, Sasuke." Hotaru pleaded. Sasuke wanted to promise her that he would; however, he could never lie to his wife. Nothing in life is certain and this war was no different._

_Gently, with a tenderness no one but his wife and daughter ever witnessed, Sasuke tilted her chin upwards. "Promise me that, if I die, you'll find someone who'll care for you."_

_Those words clenched Hotaru's heart as she whispered, "Sasuke—"_

_Her husband interrupted her as he pressed his forehead against hers, "Promise me that you'll love them in return with all your heart." He wiped away a stray tear from her face with a faint smile._

_She nodded her head, with eyes closed as she wrapped her arms around his neck slowly._

"_I promise…"_

_After a few moments, Sasuke left the room leaving Hotaru by herself. He hugged and said his goodbyes to a distraught Kanna and left their home, his life in the Fate's hands._

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The next morning, Hotaru woke up to find the bed empty, not that it really mattered to her whether Byakuya was there or not. She changed into a simple lavender kimono for the day before she walked out of the room where she found a meek, unnamed woman standing before her.

Apparently, Byakuya sent a servant to inform Hotaru that breakfast was ready. As the servant bowed, Hotaru left to wake Kanna.

She slid the door open to find her daughter, who sat by the window watching the clouds, awake and ready for the day. Hotaru smiled faintly as she tapped Kanna on the shoulder, causing the little girl to turn around. Mother and daughter were on their way to where they would be eating breakfast when Hotaru saw Rukia and an unknown man with vibrant red hair up ahead.

Sensing a presence behind her, Rukia turned around to find her new sister and her niece. There was an awkward silence between the two young women until finally, the red haired man coughed and bowed.

Hotaru responded with a slight, downward tilt of her head. Rukia introduced him as Renji, Byakuya's general. Hotaru immediately noticed the stark contrast between Byakuya and Renji, who was evidently louder with a more devil-may-care attitude.

By the time that Renji separated from the group, the whole family was quietly eating their breakfast.

"Renji told me that this year's gathering will be held here." Rukia stated before eating a bit of her rice. In response, Byakuya only nodded. At the same time, Hotaru and Kanna remained silent.

After breakfast was finished, Byakuya left the room with Kanna. Hotaru, who had objected at first, glared intently at Byakuya's back before her eyes softened at the slightly nervous look in Kanna's eyes. She would do anything to assuage her daughter's anxiety.

This left her alone with Rukia.

"You don't have to worry," Rukia whispered seeing the worried look in Hotaru's eyes. She may not like the fact that Byakuya married so quickly after her sister's death, but she was not hateful by nature. Hotaru turned her attention to Rukia, who gave her a small reassuring smile with great effort.

Deciding now was the time to set things straight as she had intended, Hotaru returned her own weak smile before she whispered quietly so only Rukia could hear, "I'm not trying to take Lady Hisana's place, nor do I intend to, Rukia."

With that thought in mind, Rukia nodded before she also decided to try to make this work no matter how hard it would be.

"It's just difficult. My sister died less than a year ago."

"Around the same time Sasuke died in the war," Hotaru stated. Rukia inwardly felt guilty knowing that she wasn't the only one who was suffering. '_Imagine how Nii-sama must be feeling_.'

"I don't understand why the two of you agreed to a marriage if both of you were still mourning over Hisana and Uchiha-san."

Rukia noticed how Hotaru's bangs hid her eyes, casting a shadow over them. "He didn't want you to marry Itachi, and even if I knew I had that choice…I would have married Byakuya anyway." '_No one deserves that kind of punishment._'

At this, Rukia's eyes widened because Byakuya never told her what would happen if he refused to marry Hotaru. This shocked Rukia into silence.

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Byakuya had taken Kanna, who was had not spoken a word, out into the garden where he allowed her to examine the different flowers that grew since she seemed to have an affinity for flowers.

'She would get along with Rin,' He thought, remembering Lord Sesshoumaru's own adopted daughter. Thoughts of Sesshoumaru only served to bring about the other Lords and Ladies to mind.

The land was divided into eight different regions, each named after a certain element: Life, Death, Light, Darkness, Sun, Moon, Fire, and Water. As he sat underneath the shade of a tree, his mind wondered what the gathering would be like.

It would be…interesting…to see everyone again.

Fixing his gaze towards his adopted daughter, he wondered what he could do to ease her worries. He couldn't say that he loved Kanna or her mother the way she wanted him to, but he would never hurt them if that's what worried the child.

This is what happens when a person grows up as an only child and his parents dies. You usually have the conversational skills of…scratch that; you have none.

"Kanna," Now that Byakuya had her attention, what was he going to do with it? "What was your father like?" He inwardly chastised himself. You don't ask that kind of question to a six year old who just lost her father and is scared of you.

Instead of crying as he expected her to do, Kanna smiled faintly before replying, "My father was a very strong man. He didn't like to talk or smile, but he did when he was with my mother."

"What about your uncle…"

"Father and Mother won't let me talk to Uncle Itachi."

'_Smart parents_,' Byakuya thought wryly.

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"Lords? Ladies?" Hotaru questioned with a puzzled expression. Conversation was difficult because they did not know what to talk about; however, both were determined women.

"You…don't know them?" Rukia asked with her own confused face. Hotaru figured that her relation to Itachi justified Rukia's confusion.

"I came from a different land; I only met Itachi a few times. Other than that, Sasuke and I stayed away from this land." The violet-eyed woman responded as she stared into a steaming cup of tea, its warmth having some sort of a calming effect.

"There are eight Lords and Ladies, each ruling their own region: Life, Death, Light, Darkness, Sun, Moon, Fire, and Water."

With a wry grin, Hotaru said, "How fitting that Itachi is the Lord of the Land of Death."

"Byakuya rules the Land of Light. Lord Koenma rules Life. Lord Naraku," Rukia shuddered at the mere mention of this name, "rules the Land of Darkness. Lord Vegeta rules the Land of Sun and Lord Sesshoumaru rules the Land of Moon. Lady Tsunade rules Fire and Lord Hiashi rules the Land of Water. You're going to meet all of them later on at the gathering."

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**Saturn's Spawn**: I know, Kanna's not quiet like she should be, but hey, she's not Naraku's incarnation in this story.


	3. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Sailor Moon, Naruto, Inuyasha, Yu Yu Hakusho, Dragon Ball Z, or Bleach.

Chapter 2

The garden was disturbingly quiet save for the few chirps of different birds and the quiet babble of the brook nearby.

Byakuya honestly didn't know what he could talk about with his six-year-old stepdaughter; her family wasn't the best topic to start out with since the subject was a bit… touchy. Kanna sat before him, absentmindedly picking the grass, with tense shoulders because whenever Byakuya was involved, it was always a bit nerve-wracking.

"How are your studies?"

Kanna suddenly looked up, dropping the small blades of grass in her pale hand. "Fine… Mama is teaching me how to write my name."

In response, Byakuya nodded once; it was good to know that he married someone educated. He looked down to find that Kanna staring at the ground again, busying herself with the grass. This was going nowhere. He had hoped to assuage just a little bit of her anxiety because, unbelievably, Byakuya wanted to _try_ to be a good father even if he held no feelings for his wife.

"There you are," a familiar voice greeted accompanied by the sounds of footsteps. The two looked up to find Hotaru smiling at Kanna while Rukia raised a speculative eyebrow at her brother. Kanna immediately stood and ran to her mother who welcomed her warmly.

Byakuya, with his apathetic countenance intact, sat underneath the tree while watching the interaction between mother and daughter, completely ignoring his sister's stare. Kanna wasn't as nervous as she had been with him while Hotaru actually smiled.

Byakuya had to raise his own eyebrow at Rukia, who seemed to be smiling albeit barely. Rukia knelt down until she was eyelevel with Kanna. "So, what were you doing out here anyway?"

Kanna involuntarily tightened her small hand around the fabric of her mother's kimono until she felt her mother place a gentle hand on her head because Hotaru knew that the small action would calm her. Then Hotaru knelt down, too, so that she was eyelevel with Kanna.

"We talked." Byakuya responded.

"About?" Hotaru prodded, turning her attention to her husband; she really didn't like this man. Contract be damned. Brother-in-law from hell be damned. He reminded her too much of Sasuke.

Rukia, filled with an ill-omened feeling, decided to direct the conversation to a new subject like the smart sister-in-law that she was. "Does Lord Naraku really have to be at the gathering?"

"Must you ask?"

Rukia shivered, "But that means his entire family will be coming. You know I hate his wife, Kaguya, and his brother, Orochimaru is…" She didn't have to finish since Byakuya knew what she thought, and he had to agree.

In his opinion, although many agree with him, Naraku, the Lord of the Land of Darkness, was nothing more than a deceiving, cunning, and malevolent hanyou who came into power because he managed to kill the previous lord, his own father Lord Onigumo.

The rest of his family was no better. His half-brother, Orochimaru, was just as sadistic and cunning in every aspect as Naraku while his half-sister, Kagura, was just plain mean and spiteful simply because she apparently hated her family. He understood why, but that should not excuse her lack of respect for other nobles.

Then there was the matter of his gold digging wife, Kaguya, who married Naraku simply for his wealth even though she couldn't stand him. Together, they somehow sired a son named Hakudoushi.

He pitied the poor boy for being born into such a debauched family. However, he could already see Naraku's personality corrupting his son; therefore, he made a note to keep Kanna away from him.

And if Kaguya was bad, her cousin Yura was worse. For quite some time, she had had her eyes set on marrying him. She had even gone as far as to insult Hisana several years ago in order to separate them.

He would never forget it.

-  
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_Byakuya and Hisana were just married and everyone gathered to celebrate the momentous occasion. Needing a moment to herself, she walked out into the gardens. _

_Once outside, Hisana allowed the cool night air calm her nerves until she heard footsteps. She turned around to see a woman who she recognized as Yura, a young woman with short hair, dressed in appallingly scandalous clothes that disgusted many of the aristocratic nobles when they saw her. She sneered at the frail woman before her as she circled Hisana._

"_What was Byakuya thinking? A street rat? You aren't even pretty." Yura's crimson eyes glittered as she watched Hisana tense, not knowing what to do. Laughing callously, she whispered, "Not to worry. You'll outlive your usefulness soon. It won't take long for Byakuya to realize his mistake."_

_Hisana bit her lip. Before long, Yura left her alone._

"_Don't listen to her."_

_She turned around to see Byakuya who wrapped reassuring arms around her trembling shoulders._

-  
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-

Unsurprisingly, the Lands of Light and Darkness had been on less than amiable terms for quite some time now.

"Byakuya?"

The quiet Lord blinked before he focused his attention on Hotaru, who had given him an inquisitive look.

"It's nothing."

With that said, Hotaru nodded as she pulled Kanna away to some arbitrary part of the garden. Once they were out of sight, Rukia turned to her brother with her arms crossed.

"Well?"

Byakuya raised his chin a mere fragment of an inch in response; that simple action alone made the question apparent, '_Well what_?'

"Nii-sama, are you going to tell me what you were thinking about?" Rukia asked curiously. After all, it's not everyday her brother-in-law _tried_ to be nice to anyone.

"Hn"

_Hn. What is 'Hn' supposed to mean_? _Oh, right, it's supposed to mean, 'do not question me for I am the almighty one.' Kami, what did Hisana ever see in him_?

With nothing else to say, the Kuchiki siblings walked off towards Hotaru and Kanna.

-  
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The sound of metal clashing echoed throughout the quiet halls of an apparently lavished estate. A blue-eyed blond woman dressed in a pale pink kimono walked down the corridor, following the raucous clatter. The noise became louder as she drew nearer.

Usagi sighed in exasperation when she heard shouting.

"Sesshoumaru, you bastard! You ruined my favorite haori…again!"

"What a pity," another voice answered.

"That's it! I'm lopping off that pretty hair of yours!"

"The day you find yourself good enough to injure this Sesshoumaru, let alone cut my 'pretty hair', will be the day I marry Jaken."

Usagi giggled at the thought as she entered the room to find two silver haired young men glaring at each other until the shorter of the two crossed his arms and said, "Ughh, Sesshoumaru, I know you like Jaken and all, but do you have to tell me about it? Although it does explain why you aren't interested in wome— Ow! I was kidding!"

Sesshoumaru with one foot on the hanyou's head decided that he had enough of Inuyasha's insufferable crude humor, but as he turned to leave when he saw his cousin leaning against the wall. With one eyebrow raised, he questioned, "Yes?"

In response, Usagi raised her right hand, revealing a piece of paper between her middle and index fingers, "It's a letter from the Land of Light. Lord Byakuya has married again. Now, would you please remove your foot from Inuyasha's head?"

"Hn"

"Aren't you going to give your favorite cousin a thank you?" At the lack of response, Usagi shook her head as she left the room, muttering, "Why do I even bother?"

However, before she left the dojo, she looked over her shoulder to see Sesshoumaru talking to Inuyasha about something that apparently enraged the hanyou, but she wasn't listening. Usagi thought back to the days of their childhood. They were quite the dangerous group, but only Jaken thought that until Sesshoumaru saved him one day from a weak youkai thus making Jaken his unwanted, bootlicking toady. She giggled at the memory of a teenage Sesshoumaru followed by an obsequious Jaken.

Despite her looks, she was indeed Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha's cousin. Her mother was their father's younger sister, but when her mother died, her uncle took her in as his own daughter.

"Oi! Rabbit!"

Usagi blinked before a palpable red color streaked her face, "What did you call me, Inuyasha?"

With one arms and legs crossed, Inuyasha sat on the floor with eyes closed and nose high as he _sagely_ commented, "better than Odango." Sesshoumaru stood there as he watched his younger cousin chase his half-brother. Honestly, will Inuyasha ever learn to keep his mouth closed?

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Itachi, sitting behind the polished oak desk in his office, skimmed over the letter's contents, the inevitable invitation he had been expecting from the newlywed Kuchiki. "Perhaps I should pay my dear sister and my niece a visit." Just then, two arms snaked their way around his neck.

"Yura, I didn't know you were still here." A warm breath tickled the side of his neck.

"What are you reading?" Yura asked, looking over his shoulder to see the letter in his hand.

"Byakuya Kuchiki had recently married Hotaru; therefore, she'll be introduced formally in a few days as the new Lady of the land." He responded.

When he finished, he removed her hands and turned to face Yura, not at all surprised to see her wearing something extremely indecent. "Should anything happen to them, you will not like the consequences." It was as if he was talking about the weather.

Unfazed by his threat, Yura played with a few strands of his hair, "You're quite protective of her, as well as that brat of hers. How strange considering you killed your own entire clan."

"Are you still angry that your little plan to break Byakuya and Hisana apart backfired? After all, is it really their fault that every other man out there refuses you?" Her hand stilled shortly at his comment before twisting his hair around her finger.

"You haven't refused me yet."

"No, I haven't." Itachi chuckled, "but Byakuya will."

It was Yura's turn to chuckle, "We'll see."

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"Lady Hotaru, a letter has just arrived for you." Byakuya, Hotaru, Rukia, and Kanna looked up to the servant who was carrying a small letter in his hand. Hotaru, who was naming the different flowers that grew in the garden to Kanna, took the letter from the servant's hand and read its contents. Kanna walked over to Hotaru, who knelt down slowly as she read the letter.

For the first time since Hotaru moved in, Byakuya witnessed a real smile on his wife's face.

"Mama? What is it?" Kanna craned her neck over her mother's shoulder, trying to see what made her mother smile.

"Kikyou and Tsubaki are coming for a visit."

"Does that mean Kocho and Asuka will be here?" Kanna actually seemed excited; Hotaru merely nodded.

"Who're Kikyou and Tsubaki?"

Hotaru turned to Rukia. "Kikyou and Tsubaki are my friends back home where… Sasuke and I used to live."

"Don't forget about Kocho and Asuka." Kanna added. "They're Auntie Kikyou's daughters, and they're my best friends. Auntie Kikyou said that Tsubaki practices dark magic. That's why she won't marry anyone"

"A kuro miko and a miko… friends?" Rukia questioned skeptically.

Hotaru played with the petals of a small white flower, smiling, "Well, at first, no. They weren't. In fact, you could say they were bitter rivals. However,

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"Kikyou, how much longer do you think it will take?" asked a young woman, dressed in navy blue robes, with silver hair and glittering turquoise eyes. She sat on top of a black horse whereas Kikyou rode a white horse with a gray mane and tail. Each miko had a little girl sitting before her.

"Just a few more days, Tsubaki. Kocho, Asuka, how are you faring?"

"We're fine, Mother," answered one the taller of two girls.

-  
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"Great. That damnable Kuro Miko is going to corrupt my daughter." Sasuke muttered when he found out that Tsubaki and Kikyou were going to visit. He heard a sigh behind him. He had to remind himself that angering her would not do simply because every other prissy, goody-goody soul in heaven annoyed him. "I think I liked you better when you had a calm, tranquil personality."

"Oh, be quiet." Hisana admonished. Why was she friends with this overly exasperating man again? Oh, right because every other prissy, goody-goody soul in heaven annoyed her. There _was_ a reason why she married Byakuya and his _amiable_ individuality. Maybe that's why she was the only soul brave enough to befriend the less-than-friendly man before her. "What's wrong with Tsubaki?"

"Your command about being quiet prohibits me from answering."

She absolutely hated his nauseatingly smug tone. And he _knew_ it. Sasuke chuckled. When he wasn't busy lamenting about the fact that he died, he was making fun of Hisana, who had become the sort of sister he never had. And what are brothers good at if not annoying their sisters?

"How did such vindictive soul such as yours earn a place in heaven?" She really wanted to know. It was just morally, ethically, and logically impossible for Sasuke to be here. "Better yet, how in the world did Hotaru fall in love with you?"

"For the same reason you fell in love with Byakuya. Now, help me think of ways to send Tsubaki to hell before I decide to petition our Lord to damn your soul." The last thing he needed was for Tsubaki to turn Kanna into a chibi-Tsubaki, and knowing Hotaru, she wouldn't do anything to stop her friend because she was just too kind.

"Maybe I should leave you here to whine and complain without me here to listen."

"Then again, I could find a way to kill you myself. Eternity in paradise be damned."

-  
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Later that night, after the Kuchiki family finished their dinner in strained silence, Hotaru found herself walking around the gardens again, staring at the fireflies fly around in an intricate dance.

Without Renji and Rukia's arguing and her husband's intimidating presence, the garden was very peaceful so she made a note to visit the garden in the evening more often.

She looked up at the night sky, filled with twinkling stars.

-  
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"_Mama, look at what Papa and I found!"_

_Hotaru looked down at her excited daughter, whose right hand softly covered her left. The moment she removed her hand, a small little firefly slowly hovered until it reached Hotaru's eyelevel. Kanna giggled quietly while Sasuke just had to have that smirk on his face when the firefly landed on the tip of her nose._

_She smiled when it left to join the rest of the fireflies. However, one look from her husband caused Hotaru's smile to drop. "Kanna, go inside. I'll be there to tuck you in shortly."_

_Once Kanna disappeared into the Uchiha estate, Hotaru readied herself for the impending news._

"_They've declared war." Sasuke stated; however, because Hotaru knew her husband so well, that translated into, I'll miss you._

"_I heard. Did you tell Kanna, yet?" Hotaru responded. I'll miss you, too._

_He started to rub the back of his neck. No._

_She sighed in exasperation. Why not?_

_He closed his eyes and merely shrugged, fully expecting the light tap on his forehead meant to be a reproach for his neglect. He cracked one eye open to see her staring intently at him. It felt strange that she was committing everything about him to memory. Like he wasn't going to come back_

_However, in a mere moment, she changed and when she spoke, he heard the teasing intonation in her voice, "You'll come back."_

"_Oh?" Both eyes opened, Sasuke wrapped his arms around her as he questioned with the same cadence, "What makes you so sure?"_

"_You're Uchiha Sasuke. I have every bit of faith in your destructive capabilities."_

"_I'm glad you're so assured by my abilities to kill."_

-  
-  
-

"It's late." A familiar voice interrupted her memory. Hotaru turned around to see the last person she'd ever thought she'd see because it was simply, physically impossible for that person to there.

"Sasuke?" Hotaru stood there, frozen to her spot.

"In the… well, flesh wouldn't be a good word, would it?" Sasuke asked, rubbing the back of his neck.

Snapping out her daze, Hotaru stormed up to Sasuke, voice cracking, "That isn't funny."

"Tch, Dobe always said I wasn't funny." Sasuke commented, teasing voice belying the gentle touch he used to wipe her tear away. It was at that moment that a firefly landed on Hotaru's nose just like that night, a few years ago. Sasuke smiled as he attempted to move the bug away. "Fireflies still won't leave you alone, will they, ne?"

"Not funny," Hotaru whispered as she rested her head on his shoulder. The tension in her shoulders quickly faded away as Sasuke started to run his fingers through her hair. "Tell me this isn't a dream."

Sasuke faintly smiled into her hair, "I wish I could, Firefly, but…"

-  
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-

Hotaru immediately sat up, one hand over her face while the other clutched the blanket. Wait…Blanket…when did she?

"You fell asleep outside," the voice of her husband stated from across the room. Hotaru slowly moved her hand to look up, only to find Byakuya sitting across from her in a state of what seemed to be meditation, "If I hadn't been out for an evening walk, you would've been left out there…in the rain."

Now that she was awake and alert, Hotaru finally heard the steady beat of the rain beating against the wall. Quietly, she whispered, "Thank you."

"What were you doing outside?" Byakuya's eyes finally opened and, much to Hotaru's dismay, focused on her. It unnerved her to have his attention this way when he usually ignored her. However, she had to answer his question.

"I wanted some peace and quiet." Byakuya simply nodded in return, not wanting to admit that he normally walked out in the garden for that very same reason. At least, not aloud, or in front of her. Instead, what he did say, or rather commanded, was, "Go to sleep."

"Tch…" a habit she picked up from Sasuke; she glared at Byakuya for a moment, feeling like she was a child being chastised. She felt the added wait on the other side of the futon. Whether he was laying down or just sitting there, she didn't know. Normally, Hotaru and Byakuya always slept with their backs facing each other.

Tonight was no different.


	4. Chapter 3

**Saturn's Spawn**: I have finally survived my first year of high school! My exams are done and over with and I refuse to think about school until late August!

Anyway, I got a question about whether or not this takes place in Japan. The answer is, no. Nothing about this is really historically accurate. Any laws and regulations, customs and traditions I made up. For example, in the beginning Hotaru married Byakuya because according to Itachi, an Uchiha woman, especially one with a child, cannot remain unmarried.

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"Pardon me, My Lord, but there are two mikos standing outside the entrance with two little girls. They say that they are here to see Lady Hotaru." The servant bowed and left, leaving the Kuchiki family to its own devices. Hotaru stared at the shoji screen dazedly as though what the servant had just told her wasn't sinking in to her.

However, she woke from her daze when she felt someone shaking her shoulder. Then she saw Byakuya, who left the room, fully expecting the rest of his family to follow. She lifted one knee before standing up and quietly followed with Kanna and Rukia close behind.

They walked down the corridor in silence until they reached entrance where Hotaru smiled at the sight of two familiar faces while her family stood behind her.

After three long days of anticipation, her friends finally arrived.

Kikyou bowed as did her daughters while Tsubaki gave a shallow nod.

Meanwhile, Byakuya watched his wife embrace a raven-haired miko while the other miko who introduced herself as Tsubaki knelt down until she was eyelevel with Kanna and two other little girls. Rukia joined the conversing women when he decided to leave; obviously, they wanted to catch up, and they didn't need him there to do it.

"Tsubaki," the kuro miko said as she extended a hand before Rukia, who shook it as she introduced herself.

After Hotaru introduced everyone to each other, Rukia noticed how Kanna, Kocho, and Asuka disappeared to explore different parts of the garden; deciding that Hotaru, Kikyou, and Tsubaki probably wanted to catch up, she decided to join them. Hotaru mouthed a silent 'thank you' to Rukia, who only shook her head and smiled. Once she disappeared, the three women sat down on the wooden veranda. The roof above them provided shade.

"Uchiha's a cruel sadist," Tsubaki commented candidly as she leaned back, allowing her arms to support herself.

Hotaru and Kikyou only rolled their eyes at her sudden outburst, having been accustomed to her need to speak her mind. However, a small, nostalgic smile found its way to Hotaru's face as she recalled happier times with her two friends.

"Tsubaki, it isn't right to insult my late husband," Hotaru quipped, fully prepared for the most intense mock glare Tsubaki could ever give; the message in her eyes was clear: 'You know _exactly_ who I mean.' Kikyou chose this moment to close her own eyes whilst Hotaru returned Tsubaki's mock glare with her own. However, after a few seconds of glaring, the two began to laugh.

Even Kikyou, who opened her eyes at the first giggle, started to laugh quietly until all three calmed down. Solemnity then entered Kikyou's intonation as she stated, "She's right, Hotaru; Itachi shouldn't have forced you into a marriage like this."

Kikyou pitied her friend because she knew how much Hotaru loved Sasuke.

Hotaru propped herself against a wooden beam to support herself as she looked ahead, smiling faintly at Kanna, who was giving her friends a tour of the garden.

The shrill rattle-like sound of a cicada suddenly pervaded the quiet garden.

"It's not so bad," Hotaru winced at the piercing glare her friends gave her; they obviously didn't believe her so she explained further, "I'd rather be here than in Itachi's care, and Rukia and I are getting along somewhat, and Byakuya…" Hotaru didn't know what to say, "He's trying to be a father to Kanna."

"But, is he a husband to you?" Tsubaki questioned, well aware of the tension between the two earlier.

"Sasuke's right; you're too nosy. No wonder you can't find a husband." Hotaru evaded the question, watching as Tsubaki indignantly huffed and turned her head sharply; Kikyou and Hotaru only laughed at her annoyed face as she muttered a quiet, 'traitors.' However, the faraway look in Tsubaki's eyes as she stared at the clouds confused Hotaru, who looked to Kikyou for an answer.

"Don't mind her; before we left, she and Kuronue had a fight."

"Kuronue?" At her question, two pairs of eyes simultaneously widened in surprise.

"That's right! We didn't tell you." Tsubaki sat up before she clapped the palms of her hands together, "I met someone."

"Someone that's willing to be around her and her volatile temper for more than a day," Kikyou explained. At this, Hotaru nodded in understanding. When the faraway look returned, Kikyou leaned closer to Hotaru to whisper, "I think he's attracted to her _because_ of her volatile temper."

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In the countryside, the air's humidity made even the most dedicated of farmers weary. For that reason, a phlegmatic figure reclined lazily on a tree branch with arms folded behind his head when all of a sudden, he sneezed. Someone must have been talking about him.

Then, he felt a vine coil innocently around his ankle like a snake wrapping itself around its prey. So, maybe it wasn't _that_ innocent.

"Kurama!" Kuronue shouted furiously, fighting the serpant-like foliage, before he fell of the tree because he could not keep his balance. Once he was hanging upside down by a vine-wrapped leg, he glared at the sound of an amused chuckle and its owner. Cursing at the kitsune, he pulled a small knife out and cut the vine before landing nimbly on the ground virtually unharmed.

"Lazy bat," another voice commented from behind Kurama.

The silver haired kitsune looked over his shoulder while Kuronue grinned madly as he bent down slightly, "Shorty! I didn't see you there." Hiei responded with a cold glare that chilled the bat youkai's blood instantly, or so Hiei thought. Instead, Kuronue merely flaunted a swaggering grin that made Hiei wonder, 'Would Tsubaki really miss _him_?'

Kurama, leaning on the tree, smirked before commenting, "Kuronue, should I tell Tsubaki you're having an affair with Hiei, here?" He received two murderous glares from both Hiei and Kuronue for his question. '…Shit…'

However, before Kuronue and Hiei could do anything, a childish voice cried out, "Uncle!" A tiny silver-haired hanyou tackling Kuronue immediately followed. "Where's Auntie Tsubaki?" Shiori questioned her uncle curiously as she tilted her head to the side.

"A-heh, well, you see…" Kuronue trailed off while rubbing the back of his neck, fishing for a reason before Kurama decided to do it for him.

"He made Tsubaki mad…again."

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"I heard that." The two noticed Tsubaki glaring darkly at them, "anyway, back to the subject at hand. No, Hotaru, I did not forget." Tsubaki crossed her arms as she tilted her head arrogantly upwards.

Sighing in mock defeat, Hotaru answered, "Overall, he hasn't really done anything to make me hate him, but he also makes it very clear that he doesn't care about me."

Kikyou placed a comforting hand on Hotaru's shoulder while Tsubaki said, "If only he were a youkai; I would have absolutely no qualms with sending him to hell."

Hotaru and Kikyou only shook their heads disapprovingly before Hotaru replied, "I don't exactly blame him; I mean, if anything, he probably understands me better than anyone."

"Right, so then we blame Itachi. I could always send my shikigami on him."

A chorus calling, 'mama', distracted the three from their conversation. When they looked up, they saw Kocho, Asuka, and Kanna walking to them while carrying several different herbs.

"Kaa-san, could you tell us what these are?" Kocho questioned Kikyou, holding up the different herbs she gathered. Kikyou nodded while Kanna sat down by Hotaru.

Feeling drowsy, the white-haired girl started to doze off, leaning against her mother. Hotaru merely smiled as she tenderly placed a stray strand of white hair behind Kanna's ear. Kikyou noticed the same happening to Asuka so she carefully pulled the sleepy child to her and she gently placed Asuka's head on her lap before finishing her explanation to Kocho.

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The morning passed by quickly for the three as did the afternoon until it was late into the evening. They had finished their dinner before returning to the porch outside when Kikyou and Tsubaki decided that they were both tired.

Hotaru, however, wanted to stay outside for a bit longer because being outside helped her think for some reason especially in the evening.

Even though the sweltering summer heat was unbearable, the night air made it tolerable, Hotaru decided when she leaned against a wooden beam as she had earlier that morning. The sounds of crickets chirping and wind blowing combined with the temperate air unknowingly lulled her.

She felt so peaceful that she didn't notice a presence behind her until an unwanted, familiar voice questioned, "Are you going to make it a habit of sleeping outside?"

Sighing tiredly, she turned and saw Byakuya staring out into the garden before she, too, turned her gaze. Farther ahead, but still within eyesight, there lay a pond with a bridge over it, and a crane stood near the pond's edge. Several lush green plants surrounded the pond; few low plants had long drooping leaves floating indolently in the water. What caught their attention the most were little flecks of pale green light flickering on and off near the water.

Hotaru languidly stretched her hand outward; Byakuya, having knelt down beside her, watched her. He didn't question her motives, nor did he say anything when a small firefly landed in the palm of her pale hand before she curled her fingers slightly and brought her hand closer to herself.

He noticed the stark difference between how she acted during the day and night; in the light of day, she presented a reserved front that readily attacked him. Now, though, she was quiet and demure. The way women of her status were supposed to behave. _The way Hisana behaved_.

She whispered with a sort of nostalgic affection, "I used to sit there and watch them catch fireflies. This was before the war, of course."

Hearing her speak with such a soft voice baffled him. Normally, whenever they had a conversation, she spoke with a reserved voice. Of course, this was only in private. After all, even though her father was a lesser noble, she still knew the proper etiquette a person of her status needed.

"He teased me about how I was named after an insect." Unexpectedly, Hotaru stood before she smoothed the creases on her yukata and turned around. Placing one hand on the wooden beam, she looked to the side and asked, "Are you planning to sleep outside?"

The firefly flew away.

And just like that, she disappeared behind the shoji screen where he saw her silhouette. She made a move to turn when a voice suddenly stopped her.

"She used to play music on nights like this." The statement was awkward and unsure, yet spoken clearly at the same time. "She was quite fond of playing the shamisen." He didn't see the faint smile behind the rice paper. He didn't care that she left without a word. He didn't say anything when a firefly landed on his finger.

A few silent minutes passed by unnoticed.

Strange, Byakuya thought, he felt _obligated_ to divulge something from his past. He _never_ felt obligated to do anything because everything he did in life, he chose to do of his own free will.

He stood and turned. Before he went inside, however, he gave the garden one last glance over his shoulder; his gaze lingered upon the dancing fireflies a moment longer. He closed the shoji screen before he walked down the empty corridor. It was late. Even the servants were asleep.

It was a well-deserved rest since they had been busy preparing for the gathering.

Byakuya walked past one particular room and stood still for a moment. He could hear soft snores through the thin rice paper, and he felt the slight tug at the corners of his mouth, begging to form a smirk. Rukia was asleep.

He continued down the hall until he reached Kanna's room.

After sliding the shoji screen open a fraction, the sight of Hotaru sleeping by Kanna's sight greeted him. Perhaps, she had been telling Kanna a story or lulling the child to sleep as she had every night. He debated on whether he should either carry her back to their room or allow her to stay where she was; however, when he saw the peaceful look, he decided that he would leave her where she lay.

-  
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-

"Please, don't tell me we're going to sit here all day," Tsubaki complained. Rukia, Kikyou, and Hotaru looked at her strangely before turning away when she glared at them. Then, her eyes lit with an idea.

Now, most people left Byakuya alone during the day simply because he was always too busy to answer any questions. So, imagine his surprise when he came face-to-face with the kuro miko who made a most unusual request; she asked Byakuya for the use of his training grounds, to which he acquiesced with a single nod.

He watched the portentous smirk that appeared when the kuro miko literally dragged her unwilling friends away.

Byakuya and Rukia, both curious as to why three women would need to use his training grounds, followed. Once they were outside, Kikyou, Rukia, and Byakuya stood by the side, mere spectators, while Tsubaki and Hotaru faced each other, both with a glaive in their hands.

Knowing the Kuchiki siblings were confused, Kikyou stated, "Among the three of us, Tsubaki has the most…confrontational nature."

"It is not," Byakuya fished for the right word to use as he watched the smirk that surfaced slowly on Hotaru's face, "conventional for women of noble birth to fight."

Only Kikyou and Tsubaki noticed the dark fire in Hotaru's eyes. '_So_,' the mikos thought simultaneously, '_it's going to be _that_ kind of fight_.'

It wasn't until violet, hazy tendrils coiled around Hotaru's hands that both Byakuya and Rukia turned to Kikyou. A knowing gleam flashed in the miko's eyes.

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"Sasuke," Hisana questioned, "what's happening to Hotaru?"

-  
-  
-

"Hotaru," both Kikyou and Sasuke explained, "is the last…"

-  
-  
-

"…Kuro Madoushi."

"It's been a while since I had the chance to fight this part of you, Hotaru." Tsubaki grinned at the face of the challenge before her. "Who will win, I wonder? The dark priestess or the dark sorceress?"


	5. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Sailor Moon, Bleach, Inuyasha, Naruto, Dragon Ball Z, or Yu Yu Hakusho.

---

Tsubaki smirked confidently when her shikigami serpent coiled itself around her opponent. "Give up, Hotaru." The serpent tightened its grip to emphasize her command. Hotaru trembled visibly, making Rukia and Kikyou worry. Absentmindedly, Hotaru noted that even her choking could not affect her imperturbable husband. But then again, she could never tell what he was thinking.

After coughing slightly when the shikigami tightened itself again, Hotaru wrapped her hand around the snake's body, with much effort because even her hand was entangled by the snake. However, once she had her own firm grip on the serpent, a violet haze engulfed her hand, freezing the shikigami.

A moment later the shikigami became limp before quickly untangling itself.

Tsubaki watched as her serpent slithered to the ground where it slid into Hotaru's shadow. Undoubtedly, Hotaru controlled the serpent's actions. Said person panted as she rubbed her neck. However, her rest was short-lived since she had to jump back to dodge the deadly swing of a glaive aimed fatally at her head.

-

-

-

In the aristocratic world that Byakuya knew, women were never meant to fight. Those that did, were trained to accept a reality alone because, as he said, it was not traditional for women of noble birth to fight. As his father once instilled in his young mind, women were to be protected and cherished. His mother, proud and gracious as she was, never knew anything about the world outside her shelter life.

Hisana never knew war, but she knew hardship. She lived a life of a commoner before she met him, yet she slipped into the role of an ideal wife perfectly: quiet, reserved, and demure to the world. It was why he worried about Rukia at times because she was so opinionated, strong-willed, and short-tempered, but she seemed happy that way.

So, Byakuya, though outwardly composed, did not know whether he should feel amazed or appalled. After all, his wife was strong, but on the other hand, she was unconventional. And in a world that had already defined a woman as docile, being unconventional could be dangerous.

"She was never raised to be an ideal wife." Kikyou stated, watching Hotaru narrowly dodge the tip of Tsubaki's glaive. "Her father died when she was young, and her _mother_," Kikyou hissed the word disdainfully, "did not care for her at all. Her uncle practically adopted her and raised her to be strong."

-

-

-

"_Try again," A white-haired man prompted, watching as a young ten-year-old Hotaru tried to summon a small violet orb. He could tell by her labored breathing that this was hard. After realizing that they had been trying for hours, he said, "Enough."_

"_Uncle Jyuushirou, do I really have to do this?" Hotaru asked curiously as she sat down beside her uncle. Ukitake looked down at his niece with a faint smile at the pout on her face. _

_However, as a child would, Hotaru immediately decided to talk about something else, changing the subject rapidly. They had a pleasant conversation about little things that hardly mattered to anyone else. "…and Tsubaki said that fireflies are really the souls of the dead. Is that true? I'm not sure, but maybe I can find my mama and papa, right?"_

"_Maybe." Ukitake replied, looking down at her innocent violet eyes. Because he loved this girl as his own daughter, it hurt him deeply to hear others whisper hurtful things behind her back. Yes, she was an illegitimate child, but even his brother, Souichi, who had every right to kill this girl, could see some worth in her. _

_However, upon feeling a familiar presence, Ukitake snapped out of his thoughts and sent Hotaru away to play with her friends, Kikyou and Tsubaki. After she disappeared, he questioned without turning his head, "What do you want, Kaori?"_

"_Why are you wasting your time with the brat?"_

"_What does it matter to you how I spend my time?" He glanced over his shoulder at Kaori, who was leaning against a tree trunk while sneering condescendingly at him._

"_That girl will end up just like her mother," Kaori stated spitefully, "a common prostitute living on the streets. You know it's true."_

_Narrowing his eyes, Ukitake responded, "No, I don't." He squared his shoulders after he stood to face her. "What I do know is _that girl_ will become a powerful madoushi like my mother and my grandmother."_

_With that said, he turned and left to find his niece and her friends. However, on his way, he stopped momentarily to cough. He pressed a cloth to his mouth as he felt the coppery taste of blood forced out by his cough. Then, he tucked the blood-stained cloth away._

-

-

-

Tsubaki brought the sharp glaive down over Hotaru's head only to have Hotaru block it with her own glaive; both were completely oblivious to the spectators on the side as Tsubaki added more force causing Hotaru to take a step back. Turquoise eyes locked with amethyst eyes as they recalled all the training they had ever done.

"You've gotten stronger," Hotaru commented, feeling her arms tremble under the pressure of Tsubaki's attack. It wasn't long before her arms gave way, and Hotaru moved back quickly or risked being cut in half.

"Or maybe you've gotten weaker," Tsubaki countered before taking a step back, studying Hotaru's movement. It was a defensive stance, Tsubaki noted as she decided whether to attack or not. From the look in Hotaru's eyes, she wanted Tsubaki to attack. 'Too bad, Firefly.'

Tsubaki jumped back, hidden underneath the shadows of tall trees. It wasn't until she took that first step into the shadows that she realized her mistake; however, it was too late. Her body froze as dark tendrils coiled themselves around her body.

"What's happening?" Rukia questioned, noticing how Tsubaki froze the moment she stepped into the shade of a tree. Byakuya, however, focused his attention on Hotaru. He saw how she smirked when the kuro miko backed away.

"Hotaru is a Kuro Madoushi, a Dark Sorceress. Her natural element is darkness." Kikyou replied. "She's very good at manipulating shadows, and Tsubaki has obviously forgotten that."

Tsubaki struggled vainly against her invisible restraints, oblivious to Hotaru's looming presence.

"Give it up, Tsubaki," Hotaru mocked with the tip of her glaive pressed against Tsubaki's neck.

Still struggling to free herself, Tsubaki idly commented, "You've gotten stronger."

Hotaru merely grinned as she pulled back her glaive before countering, "Or maybe you've gotten weaker."

"Are you going to let me go now? Ending it now would be such a shame." Tsubaki replied before Hotaru whispered a small incantation, and like that, Tsubaki was able to move freely once again.

"Even in the midst of a match, they could always banter like nothing was happening," Kikyou noted, shaking her head. Then, it came to her in an epiphany what Tsubaki was actually planning. '_Tsubaki_…'

Not a moment sooner, Tsubaki attacked with her glaive, but Hotaru blocked with her own weapon. The two felt the heavy vibration at the sudden contact from their glaives.

Kikyou could see their auras clearly as each young woman held her ground against the other. An indigo flame engulfed Tsubaki, whereas Hotaru's aura was violet in color. Their auras, growing rapidly in size, clashed in a contest of colors until they erupted into a cloud of smoke, causing the spectators to cover their faces as it started to spread.

After the smoke dissipated into the air, Kikyou sighed at the sight before her. Both Hotaru and Tsubaki lay unconscious on the ground.

Kikyou, Rukia, and Byakuya walked cautiously towards the two, but Byakuya headed specifically toward Hotaru.

Rukia watched incredulously as Byakuya knelt down beside his wife and carefully lifted Hotaru into his arms. Kikyou, now reassured that Hotaru was taken care of, slightly nudged Tsubaki. Said kuro miko woke up slowly to find Kikyou glaring as she slung one of Tsubaki's arm over her shoulders before Rukia came to her aid.

Turning to see Byakuya carrying a still unconscious Hotaru towards the manor, Kikyou hissed into Tsubaki's ear, "Do _NOT_ tell me you _planned_ that, Tsubaki."

Grinning awkwardly, due to exhaustion, Tsubaki whispered back for both Rukia and Kikyou to hear, "Fine, I won't tell you. It was merely _coincidental_, Dear Kikyou."

-

-

-

When Hotaru woke up, she slowly sat up, using her left arm to support her. She massage her forehead with one slender hand, soothing the dull ache as her other hand unconsciously gripped the silk beneath her fingers.

"Tell me about your training as a madoushi," was the command that greeted her. She stared at Byakuya blankly until she realized what he had asked of her.

Crossing her arms, she remarked acerbically, "Your concern for my well-being astounds me." Byakuya narrowed his eyes at her response; they continued glaring at each other for a few moments longer. Hotaru, however, was the first to give, and so, she closed her eyes as she tried to recall her earliest memories.

In her memories, she could scarcely see her father's face. She didn't know what her mother looked like. All she could remember…

"Ever since I was little, I was placed in the care of my father's _wife_." Like Kikyou, she hissed the word bitterly. "I never knew my mother. She died during childbirth…"

Byakuya decided not to tell his wife what his father told him of her mother, and what he had been told was that a lord from a distant land impregnated a _supposedly_ barren prostitute.

"…suffered from abuse. My step-mother never cared about me." Hotaru brought her knees up to her and rested her chin on the top of her knees. She did try to gain her step-mother's approval in her early childhood memories. She had offered Kaori flowers, listened obediently, and tried her best to keep up with her studies. Nothing could gain the approval she sought. "When my father died, she abandoned me altogether without a single thought."

---

_A little girl cried in the rain, standing in front of a small grave long after everybody else left. The little girl was eight._

---

"The only person who ever looked after me in my family was my Uncle." She smiled weakly.

"Your uncle's name is different from the rest of your family." It wasn't a question; it was a statement.

Hotaru nodded, "He told me he changed his name after what my father did. Still, he looked after me and he took care of me like his own daughter. He didn't, however, try to raise me to be a perfect lady." After all, there really wasn't any point. "Instead, after my step-mother abandoned me, he started training me to become a powerful madoushi."

This was what Byakuya wanted to hear.

"He wasn't easy. He trained me to the point of exhaustion, and sometimes, he would go beyond that." Hotaru suddenly smiled. "It was during my training that I met Kikyou and Tsubaki…"

"What is a madoushi exactly?"

"Someone who uses magic," Hotaru replied.

---

"Thanks to her uncle—"

"And her wonderful friends," Tsubaki interjected before a hand placed itself over Tsubaki's mouth. While having tea, Kikyou and Tsubaki were talking about their past with Hotaru while Rukia listened attentively, adding comments or questions every now and then.

"Hotaru was happy." Kikyou stared into the steaming tea in her hands.

---

"You said Sasuke offered you freedom. If your uncle was such an important figure in your life, how is it that Sasuke was the one to save you?" Byakuya questioned pensively.

Hotaru smiled weakly, before responding, "My uncle died."

-

-

-

"_Tomoe, you've been training for a while now," Tsubaki remarked, leaning against a tree. Kikyou, who stood beside her, nodded in agreement. They were watching Hotaru practicing her sorcery, which meant a few burnt trees._

"_If I was stronger, I could have saved him." _

"_There was nothing you could do, Hotaru. We all knew your uncle was sick." Kikyou said_

_Immediately, Hotaru turned around before she asked, "Who do I have left?" She dropped to the cold ground, with her back against a tree, before asking again quietly, "Who do I have left. My _mother _could care less. The servant have absolutely no respect for me." She felt something flick her forehead and looked up._

"_You have us, Baka," Tsubaki responded. Then she turned to Kikyou before saying, "Well, you have me anyway. Kikyou's a little—ow!"_

_Hotaru smothered her small giggle at Kikyou's casualness while Tsubaki glared heatedly at the miko. Then she turned back to Hotaru, stating, "And if that evil witch decides to make your life hell, just do to her what you did to those trees." Tsubaki gestured to the half-burnt forest._

_The violet eyed young woman responded with a sigh, "The problem is I, unlike you, have a conscience that won't let me break my promise to my uncle. I promised him that I won't use my magic unless I absolutely need to…or when I'm putting you back into your place."_

"_Traitors," Tsubaki huffed as her friends laughter erupted from her so-called friends._

---

_Years rolled by and Hotaru grew into a beautiful young woman. Still, beauty alone wasn't enough to entice a good "respectable" marriage. And that was fine with her. No, the honor of carrying her family name apparently belonged to Kaori, who would rather re-marry than help strike a good match for her daughter. _

_Tonight was another one of Kaori's extravagant gatherings, one where Hotaru would end up standing in a random corner of the room talking with her only two friends, or at least, that was how it was supposed to be. Instead, both Tsubaki and Kikyou couldn't come because of sickness and exorcisms. Kaori didn't even try to hide her delight at the idea of no "acerbic street rat" and "detached wallflower" to ruin her evening._

_As she meander through the room, searching for at least one remotely familiar face, she accidentally walked into someone. Luckily, no one noticed since it was Tomoe Hotaru after all. _

"_I'm so—"_

"_I'm fine." The person interjected brusquely. She watched as he brushed off some imaginary dust as though she ruined some perfect image the moment she touched him. _

_Not wanting to endure Kaori's lecture about tarnishing her family name, Hotaru bowed shallowly and said, "Tomoe, Hotaru."_

"_Uchiha, Sasuke." He looked at her expectantly like she was supposed to drop to the ground and worship him. Not happening, and she attributed her next action to years of having Tsubaki as her best friend. Knowing that no one was watching at this particular moment, Hotaru flicked her wrist, hidden because of her long sleeve._

_She smiled demurely, earning a rising eyebrow. He never noticed the small teacup with hot tea hovering over his head, and he never noticed it until the cup tipped over._

_Instead of screaming, because she knew it was very hot tea, Sasuke visibly tensed and Hotaru noticed that he was biting his bottom lip. Smirking, Hotaru turned but not before commenting, "It was a pleasure meeting you."_

_She left, leaving a stunned Uchiha._

-

-

-

"I was shocked when Hotaru told us what happened that night." Kikyou stated before calmly sipping her tea. "And if you think we were shocked then, imagine how surprised we were when Uchiha proposed."

Tsubaki grinned. "Who knew that Uchiha Sasuke eventually fell in love with the one woman who treated him like dirt." She paused slightly, her eyes dazed in nostalgia, before she shook her head and smiled. "Anyway, it doesn't matter now, does it?"

"Tell us about the people who'll be at this grand gathering," Kikyou pleaded, wanting to avoid Tsubaki's question.

"Didn't Hotaru tell you?" Rukia questioned, but she recalled Hotaru having a distant look that day, so perhaps Hotaru didn't catch everything she said. When Kikyou and Tsubaki shook their heads, Rukia realized her speculation was correct. "The rulers of each section are usually the strongest clan of each land: The Kuchiki clan, the Kurayami clan, The Kaioh clan, The Uchiha Clan, the Tsukino clan, the Hyuuga—"

Tsubaki hissed vehemently as Kikyou's hold on the porcelain cup tightened. Simultaneously, the two questioned, hatred lacing their tone, "Did you say Hyuuga?"

Rukia nodded, bewildered by the hatred in their countenance.

"The Hyuugas…" Tsubaki began tensely.

"…Are the ones who killed Sasuke." Kikyou finished.

And they rushed to find Hotaru.


	6. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon, Bleach, Inuyasha, Naruto, Dragon Ball Z, or Yu Yu Hakusho.

Chapter 5 

"From Chaos, comes Order," Itachi stated. What looked like a game board filled with haphazardly placed colored chips made perfect sense to him; it was all a game, a rearrangement of pieces, to ensure what he wanted.

He picked up a blue piece and placed it to the side, away from the other pieces.

In the aristocratic world that he lived in, the rich and powerful reigned supreme; there was order and balance in the form of the eight lands. They belonged to the strongest of each land. Therefore, despite the fact that the Uchiha clan was practically nonexistent, he was still the Lord because no one was strong enough. He still had his followers, an army that respected him solely for his power.

Indolently, he looked down at a light blue piece and red piece.

He knew how the Hyuuga operated. More specifically, he knew how Hiashi Hyuuga operated—he knew because Fugaku and Hiashi were good friends— and he was fully prepared when the Hyuuga clan declared war on him and him alone.

Itachi gave the estranged blue piece a cursory glance.

Sasuke—his oh, so foolish and gullible brother—came to his aid, despite knowing that he would have to leave Hotaru and Kanna. And to fight for a brother he hadn't seen for almost six years, no less. It wasn't difficult to convince Sasuke that the Hyuuga clan was the one that massacred the Uchiha clan.

Hotaru would forever know Hyuuga as the name of the clan that killed her love.

Then, he moved a violet-colored piece next to a white piece, after placing a lavender piece next to the estranged blue piece.

His original plan was to arrange a marriage between Hotaru and Lord Sesshoumaru since Sesshoumaru was the only eligible man at the time, but then another option had made itself known when he had learned of Lady Hisana's sickness, and it was only a matter of time.

And, now, a gathering was to bring all of them together…

-  
-  
-

After what seemed to be months of preparation, despite being only a few days, Hotaru took a deep breath as she walked around the crowed ballroom by Byakuya's side. Music played softly in the background while laughter and conversation filled the air.

Discreetly, she searched the room for any signs of white eyes while recalling the conversation she had a few nights ago when Tsubaki, Kikyou, and Rukia came barging into the bedroom. Naturally, Byakuya was not at all pleased. When they informed her of the Hyuuga clan coming to the gathering, she felt a sense of fear coursing through her.

Both Kikyou and Tsubaki stood loyally close by, helping her to deal with some of the jealous glares she received. Tsubaki had the sadistic pleasure of returning a particularly nasty glare with one of her own. She even had the chance to remind everyone of the distinct difference between a miko and a kuro miko.

"Give me one reason why I shouldn't kill that woman," Tsubaki hissed to Hotaru, who was on the receiving end of a veiled, but offensive, insult.

Hotaru merely placed her hand on her friend's shoulder before whispering, "It's petty jealousy, Tsubaki. Just let it go." Tsubaki calmed down long enough for Kikyou and Hotaru to handle it a less… destructive way.

Eventually, Rukia joined them after a 'conversation' with Kaguya, which was really more of Kaguya talking while she bit the inside of her cheeks to stop a scream trying to escape.

"Ah, Lord Byakuya," a sinister voice acknowledged decorously.

The dark figure bowed in front of the Lord before Byakuya moved to block Hotaru from the aforementioned dark figure's view. However, unsettling crimson eyes had already locked onto her, much to her dismay; she absentmindedly noted that he was somewhat shorter compared to Byakuya, but he was still tall. The corner of his lips twitched slightly as he commented, "Such a lovely lady. She's almost as beautiful as your last."

Hotaru's gaze immediately dropped down to Byakuya's tightly clenched hands.

"Naraku, I believe you're neglecting your wife."

"How long has it been? A year? Two years at the most…for both of you," Naraku mentioned offhandedly as he walked away.

"Bastard," Tsubaki hissed at Naraku's retreating form. Kikyou only nodded in agreement while holding Rukia's seething form back. Hotaru, for the first time however, focused her gaze on her husband, who still stood in front of her with his eyes foreword. It seemed that no one else in the room noticed the small conversation. Or, so the group thought.

Once Naraku was out of sight, a new face walked up to the Lord and Lady of the land. Hotaru looked to Rukia, who whispered, "That's Sesshoumaru, Taiyoukai of the Land of the Moon."

Hotaru nodded discreetly before she turned to face the tall silver-haired Inu; there was a regal air about him similar to Byakuya's… unfortunately.

"Sesshoumaru," Byakuya greeted succinctly.

"Byakuya," Sesshoumaru replied in return. The Taiyoukai looked down at the small woman. How strange. She reminded him of Lady Hisana. Hotaru bowed shallowly while Sesshoumaru gave a curt nod.

Somehow, Hotaru felt the glares intensify around her when he did that.

Watching the two of them converse was…uninteresting in truth. They barely spoke, and when they did, the only thing she heard was a short phrase that meant absolutely nothing to her. No wonder they were such good friends.

"I've had more fun watching grass grow," Tsubaki whispered discreetly to her friends, making Hotaru laugh quietly. She couldn't agree more. Funny… there was a room full of women who would disagree wholeheartedly.

Her laugh stopped, however, when her eyes locked with a very familiar pair of red eyes. Kikyou and Tsubaki immediately noticed the way she tensed and followed her gaze until they found none-other than Itachi Uchiha. The woman on his arm was unfamiliar, but Rukia recognized her instantly, and, already, she felt the familiar pricks of anger bubbling inside her.

However, the woman left Itachi's side immediately and sauntered up to Sesshoumaru, gaining almost every man's attention.

"Sesshoumaru-sama!" she greeted, brazenly wrapping her arms around his neck. "It's been far too long!"

Byakuya seemed unmoved, Itachi appeared to be somewhat amused, and Sesshoumaru was inwardly infuriated. And yet, Hotaru noted that they all held the same stony expression.

Suddenly, Yura turned her crimson gaze on Byakuya and Hotaru. With a saccharine voice, she asked, "What a charming pair they make, ne, Sesshoumaru-sama?"

He didn't respond.

Yura jumped away immediately before the glowing-green claw reached her. As if that nothing had happened, she turned to Hotaru and greeted, "Hello, my name is Yura." Even Hotaru, Kikyou, and Tsubaki, who had never met this woman in their life, could tell something was wrong.

Offhandedly, she commented, "You're very brave, you know. I would never go to another man so soon after my husband's death. Many women never remarry in their life after losing someone they love."

Hotaru and Byakuya could already hear the rumors formulating in the minds of several guests that had no knowledge of the reasons behind their marriage.

And Yura had finally, and unknowingly, served her only purpose.

"Then again," Yura stated, "I wouldn't blame you for choosing Byakuya."

Byakuya said nothing as Tsubaki and, surprisingly, Kikyou inconspicuously prepared to attack Yura. Hotaru, however, stopped her friends. "Don't make scene," she whispered into their ears before leaving.

Perversely, Byakuya was proud of the way she left with her head held high…even if he was the only one to catch the lone tear that escaped.

"Was it something I said?" Yura asked, unaware of close she was to being purified by a miko, cursed by a kuro miko, _and_ sent to hell by a madoushi.

Tsubaki only responded, "Be careful when you're alone."

-  
-  
-

"You have strange hair," a little boy with lavender hair told Kanna, who looked at him oddly. "My name is Hakudoushi."

"Kanna," she offered reluctantly. Where were her friends when she needed them?

"You don't look like my mother and Aunt Yura said you do." Hakudoushi stated. "They said you were a street urchin raised by the lowest of the low—"

"And you're a beautiful swan yourself." A voice interrupted. Kanna turned around to find an unfamiliar face. He was only a year or two older than she was. Hakudoushi responded with a scowl and left.

"My name is Peruru. And you must be Kuchiki-sama's step-daughter." Kanna only nodded. Smiling, Peruru added, "He's wrong, you know. You don't look anything like that." Then he tugged on a lock of his own light hair, "And you have very nice hair."

To this, Kanna only smiled faintly.

"I'm fine, Kikyou. I just need—Oh, it's you." They looked to each other and nodded. Both of them crawled over to a bush and gently pushed the leaves aside until Kanna saw her mother.

-  
-  
-

Hotaru stood outside, allowing the cool night air to calm her. It didn't help. Just when she was starting to get used to being married again, just when she was finally getting the gnawing guilt that ate at her… _Sasuke_… Then, she heard footsteps behind her.

"I'm fine, Kikyou. I just need—" And Hotaru came face to face with a member of the clan that killed her husband. "Hyuuga."

"I was hoping that I would find you. I wanted…"

It was too soon. The memories were too fresh. The wound was too deep. But she couldn't do anything now; it wasn't the time or the place.

"…to speak to you, Kuchiki-sama."

-  
-  
-

"Sasuke?" Hisana was worried when she saw how tightly he clenched his hands.

"That's him."

"Who?"

"Neji Hyuuga. He was the one who killed me."

-  
-  
-

There was there was a look in his white eyes that made it hard for her to remember her hatred. …Sadness? …Guilt? "I have to go." She didn't want to forgive yet. She wasn't ready to forgive anyone yet…Her stepmother… The Hyuugas…Itachi…even Byakuya…

She walked passed the white-eyed Hyuuga without giving him a second glance. When she was sure that he couldn't see her anymore, her composed gait turned into a mad dash. She was running blind.

Hotaru didn't notice when she ran into someone until she was on the ground with a small cloth offered to her. She looked at the hand holding the cloth, and then her eyes moved up the silk-clad arm until she met a pair of familiar golden eyes.

"You should stop crying before Yura finds you," He suggested impersonally.

She accepted the cloth.

"You should probably start heading inside. You've only met a few of the Lords. There are others to meet."


	7. Chapter 6

**Saturn's Spawn**: If you're a little bit confused as to who the characters are in my story, please go all the way down to my profile. There's a section just for this story as suggested by Moi Fah.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Sailor Moon, Bleach, Naruto, Inuyasha, Yu Yu Hakusho, or Dragon Ball Z

Chapter 6

"Your mother looks nice," Peruru remarked as he pulled a small leaf that clung to his sleeve away. Kanna appreciated the obvious attempt at distracting her.

"Thank you." Then, with a curiosity that she seldom displayed, she questioned, "What about your mother?" However, she felt guilty when she saw the way his brow furrowed; she had the same look when she thought about her father. "I—"

"It's fine." His sudden smile threw her off, but she accepted it all the same. "My mother sent me away when my father left our family. She couldn't take care of my older brothers and me."

And he was still smiling.

Her initial admiration for him only rose.

"But it's all right. Lord Byakuya is fair, and I like working with the animals. Would you like to see them?" He asked, and she responded with a nod. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she was glad that Kocho and Asuka were hiding behind the tree the way they were. She didn't even mind the small smirks on their faces.

Peruru led her to the stable near the grand Kuchiki household. There, he introduced her to a large white horse that seemed very fond of carrots. With practiced ease, Peruru persuaded the horse—Shiro, Peruru called it—to lower itself to the hay-covered ground. Then, at his nod, she gently ran her fingers through Shiro's soft white mane. By the contented whinny they heard, the two could tell that Shiro enjoyed the attention.

In her opinion, this was the best thing ever since she started living here. If only her mother could find some happiness.

-

Byakuya expected many things when he went after Hotaru. He expected her to be venting or crying. He expected Tsubaki to be venting alongside her. He also expected Kanna asking her mother what was wrong.

He did not expect to find Kanna with the stable boy.

Smiling.

Byakuya couldn't pinpoint the foreign feeling of wanting to keep his stepdaughter away from the boy. For now, however, finding his wife was more important.

-

"Manipulating the actions of a mortal is against the rules, Sasuke-san." Hisana pointed out when she saw Sasuke's disappointed face. On Earth, Byakuya turned away and left the two children.

"She's my daughter." Sasuke argued. "I have every right to protect her from that boy's intentions."

"He's eight." She laughed at the almost pout-like look upon his face.

"She's six. That's too much of a difference." He crossed his arm, daring Hisana to argue with him.

"It's two years."

"…"

"What's going on?"

And the two turned to see none other than…

Jyuushiro Ukitake.

-

"Itachi."

The cold greeting did not seem to faze the young lord who merely sipped his sake from the small ceramic cup. With eyes closed, he was the epitome of composure. Yura, happy to sit by his side, looked up at irate lavender eyes with a coquettish smile. Even if the one she was smiling at was old enough to be her father.

This did nothing more than earn a disgusted look, but that didn't seem to bother her, and Itachi ignored the whole scene.

"Lord Hyuuga," Itachi returned with a sort of detached formality, yet Hiashi could pick up the slight disrespect in the Uchiha's tone. Placing the skillfully crafted cup upon the table, the young lord turned to the head of the Hyuuga Clan and asked, "How is your nephew?" He offered a small cup of sake.

"Fine." Hiashi knelt down and stiffly took the proffered cup. Nothing but an old law stopped him from killing the Uchiha before him, and the aforementioned young man knew this. "I may not know what you're planning, _boy_, but you should stop now." He took a sip of sake.

Yura toyed absentmindedly with the black silk of her kimono. And his lips curved upwards into a small smirk, "And what makes you think I won't succeed at whatever it is I am trying to do? If you're not even trying to stop me, _old man_?"

-

"Inuyasha, if you keep frowning like that, your face is going to freeze that way." The hanyou with a perpetual scowl upon his face glared down at his cousin who merely shrugged and turned away. _Really_, he should have expected the hand hitting the back of his head. It met the back of his skull so many times already.

"Arghhh, what the hell!" Inuyasha, with one hand nursing the back of his head, glared irately at his half-brother. Why was he born into such a despicable family? They all hated him, he lamented inwardly. Really, they did.

"Honestly, Inuyasha, have some common courtesy," Sesshoumaru chided nonchalantly, "Especially for your family."

"You're the one hitting me." the silver-haired hanyou retorted, still rubbing his head. "Where'd you go anyway?"

His only answer was an icy glare that told him not to ask again. And like the smart hanyou he was, he decided the answer wasn't worth his own head. There will always be another day to bother his frigid older half-brother. He didn't even bother to ask why Sesshoumaru kept glancing at the entrance to the room every so often.

-

It had been some time since Hotaru left Sesshoumaru standing there; she decided she didn't want to face everyone just yet. So, somehow, she managed to find a small red bridge along her exploration of the vast garden. With her head resting in the palm of her pale hand, Hotaru stared pensively into the eyes of her reflection in the small river that flowed into a small lake.

Strangely enough, her thoughts suddenly shifted to the upcoming winter season despite the present summer-night air surrounding her. The image of a frozen lake, with its deep depths under an icy surface, reminded her of him. Sasuke.

A large carp, peeking from beneath the water's surface, disturbed the stillness of her reflection. "Idiot," She whispered silently into the night. Only the carp heard her. Why was she letting Yura's words affect her this way?

But a sudden flash of Sasuke's reflection standing next to hers revealed the answer she sought. "And I thought I was the stupid one. You were the one who had to go off and die." She smiled affectionately, unaware of the tear sliding down her face.

_That's a horrible way to say, "I love you", Firefly._

Perhaps she was hearing things, but, at the very least, she heard his voice. So she closed her eyes to the world around her and breathed. The soft subtle scents of night-blooming flowers drifted discretely in the night air.

"Should I really feel guilty?" She had almost expected an answer. Hotaru watched enviously as the carp floated carelessly in the clear water. Perhaps, if she could feel as carefree, then she could finally be happy.

Perhaps it was just wishful thinking.

She straightened herself before smoothing the creases of her kimono. However, before she could fix the flower ornament in her hair, a pale hand straightened it for her. Immediately, she turned around to find herself face to face with…

"Byakuya," she greeted quietly. Absentmindedly, she pulled a stray lock of hair behind her ear. It couldn't be possible for her husband to come out and actually search for her. He had better things to do with his time.

He only looked over the railing to find the carp she had been watching so enviously. Indifferently, he stated, "You should not take what she says to heart."

"Perhaps. Or perhaps I can't bring myself to keep my promise to Sasuke."

He didn't even have to know what that promise was to say the same thing. "Are you…well?" The words were foreign to his tongue.

Hotaru gave Byakuya somewhat curious look, and then she struggled. She thought about the answer for a moment before settling for, "I'm fine."

In response, he merely nodded and said, "We should be heading inside. We have guests to entertain."

"A few minutes more," she quietly pleaded. Byakuya couldn't see the harm in allowing her to stay outside just a little while longer. Truthfully, he would rather be outside where everything was calm and peaceful instead of being inside, suffocating from tension.

-

"What's life if you don't celebrate it?" a golden haired woman asked as swirled the sake within the carefully-crafted ceramic cup. Tsubaki and Kikyou, both worrying over Hotaru, couldn't concentrate on the activities around them. Rukia disappeared with the excuse that she had to take care of something.

Leaning on the wall in one corner of the room, they waited for Hotaru to return. The woman called them over to join her as she raised another cup of sake. The two mikos looked at the room impassively, warning everyone to leave them alone. That didn't stop the woman who introduced herself as Tsunade. Up close, they could smell the alcohol coming from Tsunade. She was drunk.

"Let them be, Tsunade," a gruff voice ordered Tsunade. Tsubaki and Kikyou looked up to see a man with dark, black hair. The blue-haired woman beside him apologized to Tsunade with her eyes for the man's rudeness.

"Aww, have some fun, Vegeta." Tsunade pouted childishly.

Vegeta only crossed his arms and looked away. "Hn."

Tsubaki and Kikyou only looked to each other and mentally asked, "_Where was Hotaru?_"


	8. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Sailor Moon, Bleach, Naruto, Inuyasha, Yu Yu Hakusho, or Dragon Ball Z

Chapter 7

"Oink…oink oink…oink"

Vegeta glared at the swine sniffing his food; however, because it belonged to Tsunade, he could not kill it. Instead, he chose to glare, and glare he did. The outlandishly amused smirk on Tsunade's face did nothing for his temper, and Tsunade _knew_ that because she was friends with his wife, he could do nothing to her. It also didn't help that he had an unwanted respect for her power. What an infuriating woman, he thought as he waved the pig away from his plate.

"Is there a problem, Vegeta?" What an exasperatingly infuriating woman, he thought when he heard the smugness that colored her voice. He knew that Bulma hid her barely restrained grin behind the open fan she held in her hand.

"Hn," he replied, glaring off to the side only to find the two friends of Byakuya's new wife staring back. The silver haired one did nothing to hide the mirth in her eyes while the other only raised an eyebrow. "What?" Courtly decorum was never his forte.

Tsubaki made a move to reply, but Kikyou covered the kuro miko's mouth. Instead, Kikyou replied for the both of them. "Excuse us. We did not mean to be rude."

Tsunade only laughed. Swirling the ceramic flask containing the sake, Tsunade tilted her head toward Vegeta and said, "Common knowledge among everyone around you—Vegeta is the Lord of rudeness."

Laughing, people from the other tables concurred by raising their sake-filled ceramic cups. However, the menacing glare that Vegeta gave muted the pervasive laughter of those around them except for the table in the center of the room.

"What's going on?" A baffled voice questioned low enough that only Kikyou and Tsubaki heard it. The two turned to find Hotaru, the few remnants of dried tears barely noticeable.

"I've been reminded of how amusing I find the life of nobility to be," Tsubaki answered, remembering a humorous event that occurred during Hotaru's time in the care of her _loving_ stepmother. Kikyou seemed to share her thoughts, and Hotaru decided that she would never understand her friends sometimes.

"Lady Hotaru! Join us!" The smile on Tsunade's face was sincere enough that Hotaru did not find any malicious intent. The three sat down at the low table. Tsunade and Bulma smiled empathetically at the young lady, whereas Vegeta continued to eat his food. "So," Tsunade began conversationally, "how is it, being the new Lady of the Land of Light."

"It is…" Hotaru fished in her mind for the right word, knowing that many around her were listening intently, even though they tried not to show it. "Different," she ended lamely, slightly embarrassed.

Tsunade said nothing of it.

"You are a madoushi, are you not?" A tranquil voice asked from the farthest end of the table. Hotaru looked up to see a serene figure sipping a cup of tea. Aquamarine-colored hair flowed in soft waves like water. When Hotaru saw her eyes, she saw a vast ocean. Equably, the woman greeted, "I am Lady Michiru, Lord Koenma's wife."

Something in those words reminded Hotaru eerily of herself; it was the lack of something in reference to her husband. Hotaru could only nod her head in return, silenced by the seemingly serene woman's piercing gaze.

"Don't scare her, Michiru." Bulma chastised lightly.

"There are others who would gladly do it for you." Tsunade added, referring to some of the minor lord's daughters audacious enough to glare at Hotaru. At this, Tsunade gave a cursory glance around the room, lingering for a moment longer on the aforementioned daughters. That was enough to cause the brazen women to turn away for fear of angering the blond-haired woman.

Meanwhile, Kikyou discreetly held Michiru's gaze for a brief moment, trying to gauge the composed woman's intent.

"Yes, I am a madoushi." Hotaru replied evenly after regaining her composure. However, before she could add anything else, a shift in the air around them directed their attention to the table where the Lords sat.

It was only then that she noticed Lord Vegeta had moved from his seat to take his place among the other Lords.

"What took you so long, Vegeta-sama? I almost thought you enjoyed sitting with the women," The lord who chilled her to the very bones, Naraku, jeered before taking a sip of the cold sake. The one beside him, his half-brother Orochimaru, tilted his lips in accordance with Naraku, but said nothing.

Byakuya, Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha, Hiashi, and a younger man, Michiru's husband Koenma, did not share his sentiments, whereas Itachi neither agreed, nor disagreed.

"Be weary of whom you insult, hanyou," Vegeta warned, allowing a fraction of his ki to glow in the palm of his hand as he sat down. To emphasize the warning, Inuyasha's hand came to rest on the hilt of his sword. The faintest trace of veins protruded around Hiashi's eyes, whereas Koenma only narrowed his own at the dark-haired hanyou. The others only watched, ready to step in if need be.

All eyes had fallen on the table of the strongest men of the lands.

Despite the tension, Naraku only chuckled darkly. "Now, now. I jest. Are we not all here to celebrate Byakuya's good fortune?" His good-humored demeanor did nothing to calm the others.

"Not only Byakuya's, but also Hotaru's." Itachi paused for a moment. "And if one were to think about it, it would be mine as well."

Here, skill of words triumphed over mastery of swords. A few well-placed could say many things.

"What a happy family you seem to have," Naraku raised his cup to Byakuya, who only stared impassively at the hanyou, "but really, Byakuya, you must count yourself lucky. It's not every day one finds a beautiful gem like yours." The underlying tone implied that Hisana was not.

Byakuya's hand clenched the fabric of his hakama.

"You should not speak so openly, Naraku, when you have your own wife to flatter." Koenma stated. He picked up a bit of rice with his chopsticks and ate his food.

"In other words, go release your inner poet somewhere else. You're ruining my appetite." Inuyasha added, crossing his arms over his chest. If the burning emotion swirling in the liquid amber of his eyes did not show his hatred, then the obvious scowl did.

"So uncouth." Orochimaru admonished, ignoring the food the servants worked so hard to prepare, "Really, Sesshoumaru, you should do something about your brother's manners."

"Half-brother," Sesshoumaru amended, using his chopsticks to pick up a piece of meat, "And I find that decorum is best used on one who is worthy of it."

-

-

"Ukitake," Sasuke greeted curtly; he was still glaring at the boy who made his daughter laugh.

"I told you many times, Sasuke, you may call me Uncle. In fact, I demand it." The white haired man chastised. He was clearly amused by the fatherly protection Sasuke showed. "You should know that glaring at the boy will not make him any less alive than he was a moment ago. I should know."

This caught the Uchiha's attention. Sasuke immediately turned to Jyuushirou with a hateful glare, "So you're the reason I had all those _accidents_ when I was courting Hotaru."

"No, you were just that accident-prone, Sasuke. I was referring to the moment Hotaru _spilled_ tea on you." He said that with a smile on his face.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "You know, after getting to know my wife, I always thought she was too nice to pull a stunt like that." He turned to Hisana, "And you're telling me that manipulating a mortal's actions is against the rules?" He then distanced himself from the amuse people and settled for murmuring about over-protective uncles.

Hisana only pointed out that now Sasuke was being a hypocrite when a few moments ago, he was thinking about things would undoubtedly have a detrimental effect on the boys life.

Jyuushirou decided that it was time to check up on his niece; with a wave of his hand, the sight before them was no longer that of Peruru and Kanna, but instead, was that of Hotaru and Byakuya.

When Sasuke saw his brother, he narrowed his eyes. Something was off. "Hisana, since the kamis like you so much more, were you informed of anything regarding Itachi?"

Hisana tilted her head in confusion. "No. They only told me that everything would work out in the end. Why?" She turned her attention to Itachi. He hadn't changed from the last time she had seen him, and Sasuke told her many things about him. What could be different?

"It's nothing. I just thought I saw something." Still, Sasuke did not take his gaze of his brother for more than a few moments.

"Of all women, why Yura?" Hisana questioned, watching the woman who had tried to come between Byakuya and her.

That was another thing. Sasuke _knew_ Itachi had high standards. Something was definitely off, so why had it taken so long for him to notice?

-

-

After dinner, many of the guests moved to another room to socialize. The scene involving Naraku had not been forgotten, but many chose not to let it ruin the evening. That didn't mean many people decided to converse with the dark-haired lord with a sinister smile on his face. Byakuya was speaking to Lord Koenma and Lady Michiru, while Kikyou and Tsubaki went off in search of Kocho and Asuka.

Hotaru froze when she noticed that Itachi had started toward her. It seemed she had unknowingly backed into a corner.

"Good evening, little Sister." Itachi greeted cordially. He even bowed shallowly in deference to her newly attained station. Hotaru had enough sense to bow back, albeit reluctantly.

"Good evening, Nii-sama."

"You seem so tense. Is it wrong for a brother to worry about his sister?"

It was a woman's place to look down. It was not a woman's prerogative to hold her head high as Hotaru had chosen to do, but she felt the need for liberating defiance. She didn't understand why, but she felt the pressing need to show this man she was not weak.

This act only served to amuse Itachi.

"I am well, Nii-sama."

Tsubaki would probably be cheering for her.

The small grin upon his face only widened.

"That's good. I was worried that this arrangement might have problems. In fact, I was almost ready for Byakuya to send you back." It was like he was talking about the weather. Never mind that this was her life which he spoke of so nonchalantly.

"As you can see, everything is fine. Kanna seems to be more comfortable around her new fath—"

"Excuse me."

Itachi and Hotaru turned to find Neji Hyuuga and a Hyuuga woman with the same pastel lavender eyes. Neji had a strong countenance that provided a stark contrast with the other's demure persona. She seemed so frail like the thin paper of a shoji screen. As if to emphasize this, she lowered her head.

Within the range of her peripheral vision, she noticed the red eyes had faded away to pure coal, but as quickly as the change occurred, the colors changed back as though it had never happened. She stored that small information away and turned her attention back to the man who had killed her husband.

There was nowhere to run this time.

"I realize that I am the last person that either of you would want to see." He did not look either of them in the eye, but his voice was strong.

"You killed my husband." It wasn't the sharp accusation Neji had expected, but he heard the weariness in her voice. If it were possible, the woman's head lowered even more.

"Offering condolences would be a waste of breath." Itachi added.

"I do not offer my condolences, nor will I ask for forgiveness." Neji stated resolutely. "I wish to speak with Lady Hotaru."

"Then you will do so in my presence." Byakuya stern gaze surprisingly gave Hotaru support.

Neji hesitated. He felt that what he had to say should be for Hotaru's ears only; however, there was nothing he could do. They had already gained more attention than he had desired. If only she had not run away earlier…

"Very well."

Byakuya led the two outside to the veranda.

Itachi's eyes followed their movements until they were out of sight. Some had noticed their departure, but most were oblivious. He bowed to the Hyuuga before him, "Good evening, Lady Hinata."

She stammered for a few moments until none other than Lord Hiashi appeared. He stood in front of his daughter and looked down at the Uchiha with narrowed eyes. Itachi only smirked and left.

"Hinata," Hiashi said without turning around, "stay away from the Uchiha."

"Yes, Otou-san."

-

-

"Speak," Byakuya ordered. He ignored the Hyuuga's glare, which would have petrified any other person under Neji's icy gaze, and kept his eyes on Hotaru. Leaning against one of the wooden beams that supported the roof above their heads, Byakuya waited patiently with arms crossed.

Hotaru found it strangely disturbing that she took comfort in the presence of a man who, up until a few days ago, only garnered feelings of discontent from her.

"Uchiha's last words were about you," Neji stated, watching Hotaru's eyes widen. "He didn't exactly ask me to deliver them to you, but I thought it best that you heard them…

-

-

-

It seemed appropriate that for such a dismal occasion there would be the bleak sight of rain to wash the blood-stained ground.

It was not Sasuke, who had been his opponent at the time. Neji was fighting Naruto, Sasuke's friend who came to aid the Uchiha. The blond-haired idiot proved to be more resilient than Neji had anticipated, but he did manage to render Naruto unconscious. In fact, he had been ready to give the final blow when Sasuke appeared out of nowhere with a sword in hand.

"Step away from the dobe," Sasuke ordered. In the rain, locks of obsidian hair clung haphazardly to his skin.

Neji only stepped forward.

Despite the battle being farther away, Neji and Sasuke had managed to slip away from the ringing sounds of sword and the thundering battle cries of men while an unconscious Naruto lay hidden in the foliage. Here, in the clearing encircled by tall trees, the sound of sword of against sword was barely perceptible.

Hours had passed in a fluid river that made it too indiscernible to know when their fight had started.

"Do you even know what you're fighting for?" Neji asked, narrowly dodging the lightening-quick thrust of Sasuke's sword. In a fluid moment he had drawn his own sword, despite the fact that it was not his weapon of choice, and was now parrying all of Sasuke's attacks.

"Do you?" Sasuke countered both physically and verbally.

"I am fighting because my Lord and Uncle asked me to." If he hadn't moved a few centimeters to the right, Sasuke would have cut off his head.

"Funny. I'm fighting because my brother asked me to," Sasuke didn't waste a second. While Neji was finding his bearings, Sasuke attacked relentlessly, "and I don't even like my brother."

"That is funny. I'm not too fond of my uncle either."

They seemed evenly matched. The tremble of both swords vibrated to the hilts when Neji brought his weapon down on Sasuke, who blocked it the last possible moment with his own.

"Yet, here we are," Sasuke remarked as he pressed forward, pushing Neji back, "fighting for people we don't even like."

"Indeed," Neji lowered his sword momentarily and jumped back, putting a good amount of distance between Sasuke and himself. Then, he charged forward once again and in a single moment, caused both of them lose their swords. They watched as their weapons flew outside reaching distance. He figured that he would have the advantage in hand to hand combat; he even took into account how much the rain would weigh him down.

He raised his hands in the form taught so rigorously by his family. Sasuke, unknowing of what the Hyuuga's plans were, could only prepare to defend himself while trying to get his sword.

Again, Neji advanced forward with an almost inhuman speed.

Sasuke had been unprepared for the moment Neji's palm came in contact over his heart. However, despite how painful his movements were, he still managed to knock the arm away and made a mad dash toward his sword. It didn't even bother him when he felt the coppery taste of blood in his mouth.

Unfortunately, Neji had managed to knock him off his feet, and with his middle and index fingers jabbed the major pressure points of his body, rendering all physical movements useless. There was one more attack to his heart.

He could hear Neji's footsteps approaching him. Suddenly, a sword was jammed into the muddy ground, next to his head.

"I hope my idiotic wife keeps her promise."

"Your wife?"

"She probably wouldn't, just to spite me."

"Did you love her?" Very few ever married for love. Hiashi-sama would probably find a suitable wife for him, one he wouldn't meet until the day of his wedding. It was especially true for his cousin, Hinata.

"Yeah." His vision was becoming hazy, but he could still gray clouds above him. The black leaves from trees flew overhead on the wind. He laughed derisively, "I can't remember the last time I told her. She probably hates me now." In a moment of delirium, he started to talk to himself about his brother's "stupid affairs" and how he should have stayed out of this "stupid war."

"…"

"Damn, I probably should have told her."

Neji pulled the sword out of the ground, "Is that your only regret in this life?"

Sasuke grew silent for a moment.

"Yeah."

-

-

-

"Idiot." A pale fist slammed weakly against the white wall. However, she didn't cry. Byakuya looked away when Hotaru started to tremble, no doubt trying to rein in the myriad of emotions she must have been feeling.

"I said what I had to say. You can continue to hate me if you like. It wouldn't make a difference to me." With that said, Neji went back inside.

Still refusing to look, Byakuya said evenly, "Take a moment to calm yourself. Then we'll go back inside. Again."

"You really can be cruel sometimes." At this Byakuya raised an eyebrow before turning back to his wife only to find tears sliding down her face, but she was smiling. "You were very lucky, Byakuya, to have been there for Hisana. I could only sit and wait and wonder. I had nightmares about what could have happened."

Her defiance returned in spite of her tears.

He held no empathy in his eyes.

"Strange, I consider you very fortunate to have not seen someone very precious to you die right before your eyes while you sit there feeling helpless and useless."

She wiped her tears away and held her head high. He glared back through narrowed eyes. Yet, strangely enough, neither could be angry at the other. Instead, she found herself chuckling quietly, which only made Byakuya inwardly question her sanity. She leaned against the wall, staring back at him, "We certainly seem to spend a lot of time outside."

Byakuya stood quietly for a moment. "You … are very strange."

-

-

Red eyes glittered with fury when Byakuya and Hotaru surreptitiously returned to the room, although the entrance was noticed by the owner of the red eyes.

Yura glared at Hotaru with absolute contempt and was about to excuse herself from her cousin when the touch of a hand on her back almost burned her.

She turned around, ready to punish the offender when she found that it was the kuro miko, her turquoise eyes livid. The miko to her right gazed at her coolly, chilling her. It was a horrible combination of fire and ice.

Yura raised her hand to strike the audacious miko, but froze when Tsubaki caught her wrist, letting a fraction of her power sear the flesh.

"If you think I'm afraid of any consequences killing you _might_ entail, you are sorely mistaken. You see, as a demon, you should be naturally afraid of a miko's powers. I've never experienced it, but I'm almost positive that purification can hurt like hell. Kuro miko, however, can be very nasty enemies of both demons and humans. We can make purification seem like a pleasant dream." As if to emphasize her point, her serpent appeared by her side. "And I'm going to be honest. I'm a horrible person. I'm greedy, insanely vain, and probably sadistic compared to most people. I'd probably make children cry if it weren't for Kanna, Kocho, and Asuka. If you do _anything_ to hurt my friends, I **will** kill you. And I'll do it with a smile on my face as you die slowly and painfully. It's a promise." With a toss of her silver hair over her shoulder, she left.

Yura rubbed her wrist as she watched the kuro miko leave.

Kikyou remained a moment longer to add, "I don't have to tell you that Tsubaki is very good at keeping her promise, but let me reiterate it for you. As a demon, it is very unwise to hurt a person who's friends with both a miko and a kuro miko. Granted, Hotaru can take care of herself, but she tends to be more lenient. Tsubaki is not," Kikyou turned and started to leave, but not before having her final say, "nor am I for that matter."

The demoness turned to her cousin who stared at the retreating backs of the two mikos in shock. "This might pose as a problem."


	9. Chapter 8

_Previously_

Yura rubbed her wrist as she watched the kuro miko leave.

Kikyou remained a moment longer to add, "I don't have to tell you that Tsubaki is very good at keeping her promise, but let me reiterate it for you. As a demon, it is very unwise to hurt a person who's friends with both a miko and a kuro miko. Granted, Hotaru can take care of herself, but she tends to be more lenient. Tsubaki is not," Kikyou turned and started to leave, but not before having her final say, "nor am I for that matter."

The demoness turned to her cousin who stared at the retreating backs of the two mikos in shock. "This might pose as a problem."

---

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Sailor Moon, Bleach, Naruto, Inuyasha, Yu Yu Hakusho, or Dragon Ball Z

Chapter 8

---

"You do realize that threatening people like that will most likely get you executed one day. _Especially_ when you threaten someone who is related to a noble." Kikyou pointed out nonchalantly as she and Tsubaki were searching for Hotaru.

Rolling her eyes, Tsubaki merely scoffed before she countered, "As if you have any room to talk. And they say miko are supposed to help in protecting all life."

When Hotaru had come into their line of vision, Tsubaki noticed their friend looked somewhat melancholy. Every so often, the violet-eyed woman would look up. Her husband stood by her, but offered no comforting gesture.

"What do you think is wrong with her?" Kikyou asked worriedly.

"It might be Byakuya." Tsubaki conjectured. However, following Hotaru's stare, Tsubaki and Kikyou found Neji Hyuuga, who stood quietly beside his cousin. That explained it. The two friends walked up to Hotaru, and when Byakuya knew his wife was safe, he left to speak with the other lords. Not wanting to bring up Hyuuga, a small smirk appeared on Tsubaki's face, which was never a good sign to Hotaru.

Hotaru gave her friends a quizzical look when the kuro miko appeared with a slight sinister grin on her face.

"Who died?" Hotaru's immediately questioned.

A single brow rose before Tsubaki answered, "No one."

"Then who did you threaten?" Hotaru crossed her arms.

Tsubaki mirrored her action and replied, "No one of significance."

"Yura." Kikyou stated with a slight hint of disdain in her tone.

Tsubaki merely snickered while Hotaru rolled her eyes. "So what stopped you?"

Tsubaki looked down at the imaginary dirt on her blue kimono. "I don't kill _everyone_ that irks me. If I did, Kuronue would be dead by now."

Hotaru nodded indulgently before adding, "You just didn't want to clean up the mess."

Tsubaki gave a facetiously scandalized look before pointing to herself, "Me? My dear, I am a miko. This occupation demands the highest amount of diligence and I do not appreciate this—"

"Lazy." Kikyou stated with arms crossed. Tsubaki responded with a mock glare, which Kikyou easily returned.

"You're just jealous that I'm prettier."

Light, quiet bickering erupted until Hotaru interrupted, "Perhaps this conversation would be best in a more private situation." The two miko looked around to find that some of the guests had been watching them.

-

-

"I suggest that you do not do anything rash. It is a terrible thing to have a kuro miko as an enemy, especially for a youkai."

Yura looked over her shoulder to find her cousin's mate. Baring her fangs slightly, she responded, "You have no room to talk, Naraku. Provoking one of the lords, knowing you would be inciting the others as well, is also very unwise, especially for a _hanyou_."

A sly tilt of the corner of his lips made it seem that Naraku was unaffected by the blatant barb. Had it not been for his status of Lord, Yura would have condemned her cousin's choice for a mate. Although, she was fairly certain that his status was what influenced her cousin's choice in the first place. It didn't matter. She would have Byakuya. And if that relationship didn't work, she could always fall back on either Itachi or Sesshoumaru.

No matter what, her dependence on her cousin's mate's status would end.

Naraku allowed himself to fall into the role of an ignorant fool, seemingly unaware of Yura's petty scheme to raise her position in society. He thought it amusing that she honestly believed that any one of the lords would take her as a wife. At least he would have something to entertain him. In all honesty, Yura was not unattractive. That was hardly an issue in his mate's family.

Her problem was that she had a reputation that preceded her no matter where she went.

Crimson orbs cast a cursory glance around the room until his eyes fell on Hotaru's miko friend. There was certainly a hidden fire inside her that he would not mind igniting. Yura followed Naraku's gaze mistakenly to Hotaru and instantly seethed with unbridled fury. "I honestly don't see the appeal."

Without even looking at her, Naraku responded, "Of course you wouldn't, Yura. What would you know about purity?" With that said, Naraku left Yura alone, inwardly fuming at his remark as he made his way across the room.

What made it better was that Byakuya was nowhere in sight. The three women were talking animatedly until he came within their line of vision. He grinned when he noticed how Hotaru tensed and the kuro miko scowled; however, he primarily kept his focus on the raven-haired miko.

She regarded him with a cold, calculating eye. However, he saw the fire inside her. "I do not believe I've had the pleasure of formally introducing myself earlier. I am Naraku."

Kikyou tightened her lips into a thin line before she responded tersely, "I know who you are…" Out of proper propriety, she added a small milord at the end. Unfortunately, or fortunately to Naraku, her coldness did nothing to deter him; in fact, he seemed more enticed by it.

"Kuchiki's garden is well known for its beauty. I'm certain that Lady Hotaru here can testify to that. I hope you wouldn't mind joining me so that we may become better…acquainted."

"I'm afraid I must respectfully decline. It would not be proper—"

"I'm afraid I cannot take no for an answer, Miko-sama. As you can see," He gestured casually to the sight of his mate flirting blatantly with one of the lesser lords, "propriety is not an issue."

"Milord," Tsubaki intervened without a single modicum of respect for the Lord before her, "I must speak for Kikyou as her witness. I'm afraid she already has a suitor at home, and because we are not from these lands, we cannot expect you to be aware of our customs."

"Customs?" Naraku raised a single eyebrow.

"Of course. Where we are from, only a single suitor is allowed at the time. I'm afraid at the moment, Kikyou has such a suitor waiting for her at home. A very handsome kitsune waiting for her hand."

Naraku seemed unfazed by this information, but conceded all the same. Bowing extravagantly low, Naraku took Kikyou's hand, fully aware of the way she shuddered, and placed a small peck on her hand before leaving to return to his wife. Kaguya stood there with a grin on her face.

Meanwhile, Hotaru and Kikyou looked at Tsubaki incredulously.

"You lied." Kikyou stated.

"You lied to a lord." Hotaru added.

Examining her fingernails as though she hadn't heard her friends, Tsubaki said, "I'm still hungry. Are you hungry?"

Sighing, Kikyou stated, "You're lucky Hotaru is a madoushi, or else she wouldn't have been able to cover your scent. Otherwise, even a hanyou could've smelled that lie a mile away."

"It isn't a lie."

"A kitsune suitor?" Hotaru asked before turning to Kikyou with a grin, "Is there something that you're not telling me?"

A faint blush appeared across Kikyou's face as she turned accusing eyes to Tsubaki. "Enlighten me. Who is this suitor since I obviously don't know to whom you're referring?"

Tsubaki grinned a devious grin, "Why, Youko Kurama, of course." Kikyou narrowed her eyes.

"Youko?" Hotaru asked, evidently confused about the kitsune's identity.

"Kuronue's friend." Kikyou replied, still glaring at Tsubaki.

"And just when were intending to tell me?" Hotaru asked with arms crossed.

"Never because Tsubaki is lying." Kikyou responded. She crossed her own arms, seething inwardly as Hotaru and Tsubaki grinned simultaneously. "I have better things to do with my time than spend the rest of my life with that perverted, arrogant kitsune."

This only caused Tsubaki's grin to widen. "You're such a little snob. One of these days I'll tell everyone you're not the innocent miko everyone thinks you to be."

To this, Kikyou tilted her chin upward slightly before replying, "Who exactly would believe you? The word of a corrupted miko has very little credence."

Rolling her eyes, Hotaru remarked, more to herself than to her friends, "And these are my friends on a good day."

-

-

In the forest, a hut lay nestled under foliage, hindering any uninvited intruders. It was a fairly peaceful night; only the small chirping of crickets could be heard.

"Ah-ah-ahchoo!"

Three pairs of eyes turned simultaneously to the silver-haired kitsune.

"Mama used to say that when you sneezed it means that someone's talking about you." In little Shiori's mind, that made perfect sense.

"Perhaps it was Kikyou," Kuronue remarked with a smirk.

"That would certainly make his day." Hiei added.

Kurama tilted his head up arrogantly, "I certainly hope you're not insinuating that I would have an interest in a miko. No offense, Kuronue, but mikos and kitsunes do not mix. They're too uptight and self-righteous."

"And you know this from experience?" Kuronue questioned.

"Obviously the miko turned him down when he propositioned her." Hiei added nonchalantly. "And now he's bitter about it."

Kuronue burst out laughing while Hiei allowed his lips to curl upward into a devious smirk.

"It's not that funny," Kurama stated, silently willing the surrounding plant life to strangle his so-called friends. This only caused Kuronue to laugh even harder.

"It's just refreshing to know that there is someone out there who can poke a hole in that monstrous ego of yours. God only knows when it would've eventually suffocated all of us."

"Uncle Kuronue?" Shiori waited until she had her uncle's attention. "What does proposition mean?"

_Shit_. That single thought ran through the mind of each male in the room.

* * *

**Saturn's Spawn**: And that's where I'll end it. Now that school's over, hopefully I'll have more time to work on my stories.


	10. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Sailor Moon, Bleach, Naruto, Inuyasha, Yu Yu Hakusho, or Dragon Ball Z

Chapter 9

The evening was slowly ending. Overall, Byakuya saw it as a success despite the trouble Naraku and his had caused. The dramatic scene he had anticipated with the Hyuuga clan did not happen. Most of the Lords and Ladies had accepted Hotaru without much difficulty. He would have to keep an eye on Yura, though. Hotaru had even surprised him; despite what he knew of her, her lack of traditional training in decorum and propriety had been a source of worry throughout the evening.

At some point, he was expected to give a speech of some sort, a task he whole-heartedly dreaded. He gave thanks to all who had come for this occasion (no matter how much their presence was undesired). No one really expected the stoic lord to say more than that; he had always been known for his brevity.

With half the room drunk on sake or just too tired, the servants already prepared all the spare rooms. No one was expected to travel back home at night. Byakuya had bid his guests goodnight before going off to find his wife.

He searched for her throughout the room, nodding his head each time someone would drunkenly congratulate him. They were mostly lesser lords whose names Byakuya had never taken the time to know. Some of the lords like Sesshoumaru, who had never been the social types, had already made the way to their rooms.

When he finally found his wife, he narrowed his eyes. Naraku was speaking to Hotaru and her friends. Apparently, he said something that put Kikyou on edge. Then Tsubaki said something that caused Naraku to leave. Oh well, Naraku will probably find some way to twist what happened. It wouldn't be the first time, so Byakuya decided he would deal with it tomorrow.

He did catch the tail end of their conversation though.

"You're such a little snob. One of these days I'll tell everyone you're not the innocent miko everyone thinks you to be," said Tsubaki with her back turned to him.

"Who exactly would believe you? The word of a corrupted miko has very little credence."

Hotaru rolled her eyes before stating, "And these are my friends on a good day."

-

-

When Kikyou and Tsubaki finally finished bickering, deciding that Youko Kurama was not a suitor but had the possibility of being one, Byakuya had appeared. There was relief in his eyes, even if Hotaru was the only one who could see it. The evening had more or less had ended. Once the chaos of their guests' departures is done over the next few days, they could (theoretically) breathe a sigh of relief.

Casting a brief glance around the room, she had noticed that some of the guests had gone to their rooms. Once the last of them was gone, she and Byakuya could go to sleep; it had been a long and tiring day. She gave her husband a small, tired smile, showing her husband how much of the day's events had affected her. It helped that Naraku was nowhere in sight now. Something about Naraku's presence bothered her in the same way she could not stand to be near Itachi.

Hotaru decided now would have been a good time to search for Kanna, who had been missing for quite some time. At the mention of Kanna, Kikyou looked around to see if Kocho and Asuka were in the room. They were not.

At that moment, Byakuya tilted his head toward the garden.

Hotaru gave a small nod in thanks before indicating to Kikyou and Tsubaki that they should search the gardens. To her surprise, Byakuya went with them. The night air was cool, but the distinct scent of summer pervaded their senses. They decided to split up. Kikyou and Tsubaki went in one direction while Hotaru and Byakuya went in the opposite. Byakuya had a feeling of fatherly dread that they would probably find Kanna near the stables. With that stable boy.

Much to his dismay, his guess had been right. Kanna and Peruru were indeed in the stables, asleep in some clean hay by the horse.

Hotaru, on the other hand, didn't know what to make of the situation. In the months she had lived here, she only saw the boy a few times. She really didn't know anything about him. "Byakuya. Who is that?"

Ignoring the question, Byakuya walked quietly over and picked up the sleeping child. When he walked past her, he answered, "Don't worry about him. He's just the stable boy."

Raising one eyebrow at her husband's response, Hotaru looked at Kanna and then at the sleeping boy before turning her attention to Byakuya. _Mm-hmm, give it a few years and then tell me he's just the stable boy._

Smiling inwardly at Byakuya's budding fatherly-protective nature, Hotaru quietly followed her husband, but not before finding a blanket and placing it over Peruru. Suddenly, she was hit with a memory of Sasuke's own over-protective feelings for the then just-born Kanna. She chuckled at the memory of a ranting Sasuke (a sight only she was privileged to see) while she placidly nodded her head as she held her daughter. Her laugh gained Byakuya's attention, and when he turned to her with a somewhat confused look, she just laughed even more. Byakuya decided then that he would never understand women.

They met up with Kikyou and Tsubaki, each holding a little girl in their arms, and walked in quietly. After putting the three girls to bed, the adults stood quietly in the hallway. By now, everyone, save a few servants, was asleep.

"Well, Kikyou and I had better get some sleep. We've got a long journey ahead of us tomorrow." Tsubaki stated as she stretched her arms above her head.

"I wish you didn't have to leave. It feels like you just got here." Hotaru smiled sadly at her two best friends.

"I know. I feel the same, but we really have to get back soon." Tsubaki replied before smirking, "Besides. We all know Kikyou has a special someone back home waiting for her."

This only garnered a glare from the miko next to her.

Hotaru smiled before shaking her head in mock exasperation. She bid her friends goodnight before following Byakuya to their room. She winced at how easily she could finally say _their_ room. Byakuya had noticed the way Hotaru tensed slightly, but he said nothing of it.

They walked past several of the guest rooms. Most of the occupants were asleep, loud snores being an indication. However, some were awake. For example, the daughters of one of the minor lords were evidently wide-awake as Hotaru and Byakuya learned.

"I heard the new lady only married Byakuya for his status." One began; the vindictive tone in her voice made Hotaru stop. When he noticed Hotaru wasn't behind him, Byakuya turned to see Hotaru standing still with her face toward the ground.

"I'm not surprised. I heard she is the daughter of the infamous Souichi."

"You mean she's the illegitimate child?"

"That she is. Daughter of a common prostitute. I'm telling you, that girl has no idea how lucky she is. Any other sane person with _anything_ to their name would've tossed her out like the trash she is." A spiteful laugh followed. "Maybe that's why she married the Uchiha first. There are rumors going around that she had seduced Uchiha in order to lock him in the marriage. Anything would've been a step up from where she was. Not that he was any better. Can you believe him? Just got up one day, stole some of his father's money, and started traveling."

"Really? I heard he was exiled. Apparently he couldn't measure up to Itachi in anyway and his father thought he was worthless."

"Maybe. If that's the case, then those two definitely deserved each other. I don't know what Byakuya was thinking. I mean, if he was really that desperate for a new wife, he should've chosen someone with more class."

"Like you?"

"Could've been me. Could even be Yura. At least she's a noble…if you ignore the fact that she's been with every sordid character out there."

"Isn't she with Itachi now?"

"Is she? I've lost track."

Whatever else was said Hotaru ignored as she stormed past Byakuya.

Byakuya had heard everything. He clenched his fists under the sleeves of his haori as the two _noble_ women cast disparaging, untrue remarks against his wife. Had it not been for his upbringings, he would've dealt with them swiftly. As it were, he could only stand there or risk incurring some lord's wrath, which, if blown out of proportion as it tends to happen, could lead to a fight of some sort. Despite what he wished to do, he turned around and walked in the same direction as Hotaru. He found her sitting on the futon.

With a blank look on her face, she lethargically waved her hand back and forth. A dim, violet light surrounded her hand. He sat down beside her, staring intently at the hypnotic movements. He said nothing. Did nothing. He just sat there and watched, waiting to see what she would do. Byakuya half-expected to hear a blood-curdling scream at any moment.

Silence.

Her bangs had covered her eyes, but he could see a lone tear slowly inching downward until it landed on the silk fabric of her kimono. The dim glow around her hand faded away as she wiped another tear away.

"I wanted to do it. I still want to do it."

"I know."

-

-

Hisana and Ukitake had a difficult time holding Sasuke back as he made every attempt to go back down to the earth and rip those women apart.

"Sasuke! This is only going to get you a very bad level of hell. Stop it!" Ukitake shouted as he pulled on the younger man's arm.

Sasuke turned to Hotaru's uncle with unsuppressed rage in his eyes, "Do you think I fucking care? They have absolutely no business talking about her like that. Let me go!"

Hisana, also pulling on Sasuke's arm, ignored the ranting man and looked down. Raising one eyebrow at what she saw, she interrupted the two. "Look."

After Byakuya left, a shadowed figure stood outside the room.

Ukitake looked over Sasuke's shoulder with a curious expression on his face, "Is that Rukia?"

-

-

The early morning light pierced the darkness of the room. Hotaru slowly opened her eyes, surprised to find that she and Byakuya were facing one another. Normally, they slept with their backs to each other. She sat up, trying to shake any remnants of sleep out of her, when she remembered what had happened last night. She looked down at her hands.

The bitter resentment still lingered, but there wasn't a trace of the dark desire anymore. For that, she was thankful. She looked down at Byakuya, who was surprisingly still asleep; she wondered what he thought of being married to someone like her, someone with that potential. This was the first time she actually considered what her husband thought about her.

A small part of her wondered if Byakuya though ill of her, would she care? The answer was most likely yes.

Pushing those thoughts away, Hotaru looked down at herself and was surprised by what she saw. The formal kimono she had worn yesterday was gone, and in its place was her sleeping yukata. While she wouldn't mind sleeping in a kimono, it would have been highly uncomfortable. She looked down at Byakuya once more and gave a small, grateful smile. Hotaru decided it was still early, so she learned back and closed her eyes.

An hour later, both Hotaru and Byakuya woke up. Neither of them said anything about last night. After preparing themselves, both physically and mentally, for the day, they left the room, each going his or her separate way.

The servants had woken before the rooster crowed and prepared a breakfast for the guests. A second shift would be needed, though, for those would probably wake up later due to the amount of alcohol consumed. Hotaru made a quick stop in Kanna's room to check on her daughter. Kanna was still getting dressed when her mother entered the room. Kanna looked over her shoulder and gave her mother a smile. Hotaru looked into Kanna's eyes, eyes that she inherited from Sasuke, and smiled in return. She walked across the room and straightened one of the white flowers in her daughter's hair.

Slightly confused, Kanna asked, "Is something wrong, mama?"

Hotaru smiled again before shaking her head reassuringly. "Nothing's wrong. Now, let's hurry before all those hungry people eat all our food."

Along their way, Hotaru heard a man yelling. She stopped and tried to decipher which room the bellowing was coming from. She told Kanna to go ahead and find Kocho and Asuka, who would probably be with Kikyou and Tsubaki. After giving her mother a strange look, Kanna heeded the instruction and left Hotaru alone in the hallway.

When she found the room in which the yelling was loudest, she could hear another voice, different from the first one. It was Byakuya's.

"Damn it, Byakuya. I have every right to demand retribution!"

"Lord Kiyoshi," Byakuya responded with a stern voice, "given that there is no evidence that holds Rukia culpable, I strongly advise that you stop throwing slanderous allegations against my family."

"Like hell, I will!"

-

-

Byakuya could tell by the silhouette behind the shoji screen door that Hotaru was standing right outside. Of course she was. While outwardly, he remained composed, he was tired and exasperated on the inside. In fact, if it weren't such an uncharacteristic thing of him to do, he would've given into the temptation to pinch the bridge of his nose and sigh while the lord in front of him continued screaming.

"Last night, my daughters had gone to their rooms for a peaceful night of sleep. This morning, my wife goes in and finds them half-frozen! There isn't a doubt in my mind that it was Rukia. That savage sister of yours has absolutely no idea what it means to be civilized." Byakuya could've sworn that the portly man in front of him was literally foaming at the mouth. "Damn it, Byakuya. I have every right to demand retribution!"

_No, you do not. Your daughters were not peacefully asleep, as you claim. In fact, they were up spewing deprecating nonsense about my wife. Rejoice in the fact that she did not kill them or that my sister only left them _half_-frozen_. He really did want to say it. Instead, he opted for something that would not incriminate Rukia. "Lord Kiyoshi, given that there is no evidence that holds Rukia culpable, I strongly advise that you stop throwing slanderous allegations against my family."

"Like hell, I will!" Kiyoshi, in his self-righteous anger, even had the audacity to slam his fist on Byakuya's desk. In one corner of the room, two young women, beautiful by any superficial standards but petty and unattractive within, stood shivering with warm blankets wrapped around them. In the opposite corner, Rukia stood with a nonchalant look on her face, mirroring that of her brother's.

Byakuya narrowed his eyes as he looked down on the small, portly man. Kiyoshi, by nature, was a very cowardly lord. In fact, Byakuya was sure that the balding man wouldn't even look at him if it weren't for his wife, the tall, shrewd woman standing by Kiyoshi's daughter. Kiyoshi's wife stood beside her daughters, helping to warm them while glaring at Rukia at the same time. In all honesty, this was something he had wanted to avoid as much as he wanted his own retribution for last night. Despite the fact that Kiyoshi may be a sniveling coward, the villages under his jurisdiction had been the ones that provided the staple rice for food and steel for weaponry.

When Kiyoshi saw Byakuya narrow his eyes, he finally remembered his place.

He had lost his momentum and started stuttering. Byakuya surreptitiously looked over Kiyoshi's shoulder to find that Hotaru's silhouette was still there. Not wanting her to have to deal with this any longer, he gave Kiyoshi the piercing gaze he was well known for

"As I said, because there is no evidence, you are wasting my time. Leave."

Kiyoshi's wife gave her own glare, but said nothing else as her husband ushered his family out of the room frantically.

When they slid the shoji screen door open, Hotaru stood there, unable to look at the daughters in the eye. However, they were smart enough not to say anything in Byakuya's presence. Rukia followed the family out, but said nothing to Hotaru. When Byakuya was the only person in the room, Hotaru walked in, closing the door behind her. Without anyone else there, Byakuya allowed his shoulders to slump just a little bit; he sighed before looking to see Hotaru's worried gaze.

"Something's wrong with Rukia." She said fearfully. Byakuya only nodded his head, unable to deny that foreboding statement. While he was well aware of Rukia's temper, attacking two (somewhat) innocent people like that did not fit her nature at all.

Imagine his surprise when Kiyoshi came into his private office (after being forced to by his wife) and demanded that Rukia be punished for attacking his daughters. Byakuya didn't know what to make of that statement and chose instead to stare blankly at the minor lord in front of him. Then Rukia walked into the room, followed by Kiyoshi's wife and daughters. The Kuchiki siblings stared at each other for a few moments. Her eyes seemed almost cold while her countenance unsympathetic.

"Be careful with the guests today. If I am not with you and Kanna, then find your miko friends."

Hotaru suppressed the defiant need to tell him that she was capable of taking care of herself when she saw the inner turmoil within his eyes. It unnerved her a little that she was beginning to be able to read his emotions, but she cast that thought aside. Hesitantly, she placed her hand on his shoulder and nodded quietly.

"Will you be here for the rest of the day?" She asked him as she made a move to exit the room.

"Probably not," Byakuya responded, and then adding, "First I have make sure Rukia is all right. For now, don't go near her."

Hotaru glanced over her shoulder and studied her husband's face for a few seconds. She had never seen him this worried in the few short months they have been married. That unnerved her more than her budding ability to read his emotions.

Outside, dark clouds approached ahead, looming over them.

-

-

Had Tsubaki not grabbed her and placed her hand over Hotaru's mouth, Hotaru would've walked in while Kiyoshi's two daughters were casting more slanderous contentions to anyone who would listen to them. Tsubaki put her index finger to her lips and gestured to Hotaru to be quiet. When Hotaru nodded, Tsubaki removed her hand. The silver-haired kuro miko whispered to Hotaru, "Byakuya summoned all the main Lords."

Hotaru knew it had probably had something to do with Rukia. Then she relayed everything that happened last night to the events leading up to Kiyoshi storming into Byakuya's office. Rage filled Tsubaki's turquoise eyes while Kikyou cast a cold glare in the direction of dining area.

Tsubaki, Kikyou, and Hotaru stood just outside of the room, standing quietly in the hallway.

"It's true! Izumi, tell them." Said one of the sisters; from her voice, Hotaru remembered her as the first one she heard last night.

"Rukia came into our room in the middle of the night and froze Kimiko and me!" Izumi stated. "That girl is crazy, I tell you! There is something wrong with the entire Kuchiki family! I mean, look at Lord Byakuya and his chosen bride. And that demonic child of theirs? I said hello yesterday, and the girl just walked off." Quiet murmurs followed.

Hotaru narrowed her eyes and made a move to stop them for continuing, but a hand on her shoulder stopped her. Hotaru looked over her shoulder to find Bulma and Michiru standing behind her. With a smirk on her face that made Tsubaki proud, Bulma sauntered into the room, causing the voices to stop. Michiru, Hotaru, Kikyou, and Tsubaki followed after.

"You should be ashamed of yourselves," Bulma admonished, crossing her arms.

Kiyoshi's wife stood up for her daughters, staring Bulma down with a condescending eye, "Then how would you explain the fact that I've found my daughters half-frozen this morning? We're all aware that Rukia is the only one among us who has the power to wield ice."

None of them had an answer to Rukia's strange behavior, but none of them was willing to allow Rukia's name be dragged through the mud.

Obviously, in a situation like this, there was a need for composure, tact, discrepancy, and self-control.

"Give me one reason why I shouldn't send each of you to hell?"

Every head in the room turned to the kuro miko who stood there with a cruel gleam in her eyes. Fortunately, for Hotaru and Kikyou, this was something with which they had familiarity.

"You wouldn't dare." Kimiko said, certain that the miko was bluffing.

Tsubaki took one step forward. "Care to test that theory?" Out of the darkness, her shikigami appeared, causing everyone, except for her friends, to take a step back. Her obedient serpent slithered to her side, hissing as it took in Kimiko and Izumi's frightened stare. However, before she could command the snake to do anything, it was pulled back into the shadows. Tsubaki cast a bored glance over her shoulder to find Hotaru standing there, hand outstretched and surrounded by a familiar violet glow. Sighing, Tsubaki said, "You always ruin my fun."

Kikyou raised an eyebrow before responding, "Save it for another day, Tsubaki." She looked at Kimiko and Izumi, allowing her head to tilt up and down, "And for a more worthy cause."

"What in the world is going on?" All eyes turned toward the origin of the voice. What they found was Rukia and Usagi standing there with a shared confused expression.


End file.
